by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Let us continue sharing the little secrets of Fattoria del Colle that surprise and delight tourists—the details that make a stay there unique, distinctive, and memorable.

The villa’s historic rooms and its chapel house true art masterpieces. The owner, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, is an art historian by background and spent years specializing in medieval goldsmithing. She owns just one piece created by 15th-century Sienese goldsmiths: a copper processional cross. The other artworks are casually interspersed with everyday objects throughout the historic rooms of the villa, where she still resides. Donatella has always lived surrounded by masterpieces; she has no desire to put them on display, preferring simply to enjoy their presence around her. Nevertheless, she is well aware of the risks posed by frequent tourist visits and the threat of theft, which is why Fattoria del Colle is protected by security cameras and alarm systems.

The Hall of Coats of Arms, the billiard room, and the fireplace room retain some of their original furnishings and house many curiosities—such as the list of chickens, brooms, and eggs that each farmstead was required to supply, the alarm bell cord hidden inside the clock, and antique white porcelain from Richard (the company that later became Richard Ginori).…

L'articolo WHAT TOURISTS DON’T EXPECT AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE (2) sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino 

First-time visitors to Fattoria del Colle often say, “It’s beautiful here—I wasn’t expecting this.” They are delighted to find themselves in a genuine, significant place that is nonetheless unpretentious and welcoming. It is a unique setting that moves them, allowing them to experience the Tuscan countryside in all its simplicity as well as its extraordinary, historic beauty.

Yet we are amazed by their amazement. All our communication is completely authentic; we take photos or videos almost every day, and our social media followers see exactly what is going on—without filters, without staging, and without even rearranging objects or furniture. That is simply who we are, and yet tourists are surprised when they arrive. Perhaps we don’t know how to take photos. Or maybe the habit of presenting an idealized image online—better than reality—is so widespread that encountering people like us, who show themselves exactly as they are, comes as a surprise.

MANY SMALL SURPRISES AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE

Many people expect Fattoria del Colle to be smaller, but it is actually like a small country hamlet. Some international visitors—especially those referred by agencies—assume the word “fattoria” (farm) implies the presence of chicken or pig farming. Most expect a far more rustic setting where residents spend their days in bucolic idleness.…

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By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

DONATELLA BEGINS WORKING AT FATTORIA DEI BARBI

Tired of playing the role of the supportive wife and doing the cooking, I decided to ask my mother, Francesca, if I could work for the family business; she assigned me the task of managing the dairy, the cured meats production, the restaurant, inbound tourism, and media relations.

Meanwhile, our daughter Violante was on the way. There hadn’t really been a conscious decision to have a baby, either. My husband, Carlo, kept putting it off because he didn’t want to change our life as a couple, but then we went to Mexico; I caught “Montezuma’s Revenge”—traveller’s diarrhoea—which shifted my cycle, and I ended up pregnant. After a perfect pregnancy, Violante was born in the small hospital in Montalcino. She is the only member of the family born in the land of Brunello.

I arrived at the hospital at eight o’clock, and half an hour later, Violante was born. While most newborns are wrinkled, she was so beautiful she looked almost unreal. At first, she just ate and slept, but then our nights became a nightmare. When she finally slept for eight hours straight at the age of two, Carlo and I rushed to her crib to see what had happened.…

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by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Almost all the best decisions of my life were made on impulse. Including the decision to get married. Carlo Gardini and I had had a solid relationship for years. He had graduated with honours in Economics and Business, then chosen to join the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, entering a management training program that took him all over Italy to learn about every sector of the business. In 1978, shortly before the August 15^th celebration, Carlo called the personnel department to find out his next posting; he was told that, starting October 1st, he was to begin a nine-month stint in Lille, France.

A DECIDEDLY UNCONVENTIONAL MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

“My parents won’t let me come with you,” I said, thinking of the rigid formality of my own home. “We have to get married.” He hadn’t expected it and remarked, “How am I supposed to tell my parents?” The proposal itself had already been unconventional, but Carlo’s reaction went a step further and made me furious. Fortunately, he quickly pulled himself together, and we began a mad dash to get married and leave together. My mother refused to cancel her work commitments, so we were forced to move the wedding to a weekday.…

L'articolo DONATELLA: THE UNCONVENTIONAL WIFE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Many refer to the twentieth century as the “Short  Century”—a term coined by British historian Eric Hobsbawm—due to the rapid pace of change; yet, in the early 1960s, it felt as though one were living in a nineteenth-century bubble. It was a world precariously balanced between the lingering past, the economic boom that was emptying the countryside, and social rituals that seemed destined to last forever—only to be swept away by the events of 1968.

As a young girl, I used to spend summers in Montalcino playing with the children of the neighbouring farmers, who would run around barefoot. In winter, back in Florence, boys and girls attended separate classes at the Ponte a Mensola elementary school; we girls wore white smocks with pink bows at our collars. Traffic and crime were low, and we children would walk home alone.

THE SIXTIES: BALANCING FORMALITY AND CHANGE

I remember my grandmother Giuliana’s persistence in teaching my brother and me proper table manners, as well as her silver cutlery—which discouraged my classmates from visiting, as they would complain, “It’s so heavy I can’t eat.” This formal propriety wasn’t limited to my home, Montalcino, or Tuscany. I recall traveling to Valence, in Burgundy, when I was seventeen as part of an exchange program organized by the Siena Rotary Club; at my host family’s home, they would dine in formal evening wear.…

L'articolo DONATELLA AS A CHILD sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Donatella’s house in Gozo boasts a breathtaking view of the strait that separates the island from Malta. This stretch of sea is frequented by ferries, cruise ships, fishermen, and yachts… sailing around the small island of Comino, with its romantic blue lagoon and the tower where The Count of Monte Cristo was filmed.

THREE FLOORS WITH A VIEW

From the roof terrace, the view is so beautiful that everyone stops to relax and regenerate. It was precisely this panorama that convinced Carlo, Donatella’s husband, to buy the house twenty years ago. At the time, the area was almost abandoned, and the old houses nearby along Triq il-Kuncizzjoni were in ruins. But precisely for this reason, the place seemed more authentic and less touristy. It is a small village that grew surrounding the Church of the Immaculate Conception, along the road that leads from the village of Qala to Hondoq Bay. All around are small fields, vegetable gardens, and orange groves, and the houses are built with a local yellowish stone.

Donatella and her daughter Violante’s house has a small internal courtyard with a well and plants. In the original plan, the ground floor was intended to be the “winter home,” with a kitchen, living room, study, and bathroom.…

L'articolo DONATELLA’S HOUSE IN GOZO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

This year, Fattoria del Colle is hosting 17 weddings, all different and all beautiful.

Some are minimalist, others boasted spectacular floral arrangements and displays.

We’ve had couples with photographers and set designers, Instagrammers, videographers, and a whole repertoire of sun glasses, dresses, and decorations to create images to post online. Others asked for absolute privacy, even from their guests, to preserve the intimacy of the most beautiful day of their love.

WHY WEDDINGS AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT

There are many ways to organize your wedding in a large venue with diverse and evocative spaces for the ceremony, aperitifs, dinner, cake cutting, and the closing party. At Fattoria del Colle, all couples have left happy and feeling like they’ve experienced a unique moment, uniquely theirs and unlike any other.

Of course, there are some places no one wants to miss out on, like the panoramic terrace above the winery. The Corten railing, reminiscent of the oak trees of the Val d’Orcia, frames a landscape of extraordinary beauty, and all newlyweds choose it for the ceremony or aperitifs. Another must-have, no one wants to miss out on, is the barn, restored a few years ago. The large windows feature state-of-the-art glass that keeps out sound, so you can dance until the wee hours without disturbing anyone.…

L'articolo FATTORIA DEL COLLE’S WEDDINGS IN 2026 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

This offer combines two wines made exclusively with Sangiovese, two wines for summer dinners: a young Brunello for roast meats, aged cheeses, or flavorful pasta dishes, and a Spumante Rosé Metodo Classico for fish, chicken salads, fresh cheeses, pizza, and relaxing moments with friends.

Two great wines that transform every sip into a special moment, rejuvenating your taste buds and rejuvenating your soul.

With these two wines, your summer parties will have true Tuscan style!

 WHAT THE WINE CRITICS SAY

Brunello di Montalcino 2021-

93/100 VINOUS BY ANTONIO GALLONI

93/100 WINE ADVOCATE

92/100 JAMES SUCKLING

91/100 WINE SPECTATOR

Spumante Metodo Classico 2020

94/100 WINE ENTHUSIAST

90/100 VINOUS BY ANTONIO GALLONI

THE OFFER INCLUDES TWO EXPRESSIONS OF 100% SANGIOVESE

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2021

Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s ancestors owned Casato Prime Donne already at the end of the 16th century. In addition to farming, they went there for hunting and honeymoons. The property remained in the family for centuries, and in recent decades it belonged to Donatella’s grandmother and then to her mother, then to Donatella who will pass it on to her daughter Violante. This female succession makes it the ideal location for the Prime Donne project. The winery is the first in Italy with an all-female staff and funds the award dedicated to Montalcino and female talent.…

L'articolo Offer: Pure Sangiovese for your summer parties! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

The new Toscana Lovers store opens in Florence, in the Palazzo dei Canonici di Santa Maria del Fiore, on the left side of Piazza del Duomo.

TUSCANA LOVERS IN FLORENCE IN A HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL LOCATION

The monumental entrance features columns and 19th-century statues celebrating Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed the Duomo in 1296, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the dome (1436), one of the most extraordinary works of the Renaissance. The Palazzo dei Canonici was built in the early 19th century by demolishing pre-existing buildings. Inside, the painted ceiling and walls were created for the visit of Pope Pius IX in 1857. After consecrating four Tuscan bishops, the Holy Father stopped here to receive the clergy and have his foot kissed. This visit also coincided with the laying of the cornerstone of the new façade of Santa Croce, one of the great religious projects of 19th-century Florence.

A space that for years housed the Duomo ticket office, so beautiful that it has required furnishings specifically designed by interior designer Lorella Salvi and handcrafted by the Siena-based firm OMIF. The walls, ceilings, and doors are protected as historical monuments. The result is extraordinarily elegant, as if it had always been there.…

L'articolo TOSCANA LOVERS OPENS IN FLORENCE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The grapes were perfectly ripe but small, with thick, quite hard skins. Therefore, after removing the stems, the grapes were crushed. The vinification was the most delicate ever, and after fermentation, the newly born wine remained on the grape skins in closed vats much longer than usual. At the same time, the arrival of the new barrels was brought forward so that the 2022 wine could be transferred to oak containers in November.

These seemingly small changes are actually very important and able to smoothen the tannins that were abundant in the wine. The result is a powerful, harmonious, and pleasant IGT Toscana Il Drago e le 8 Colombe, a wine that beautifully captures the Tuscan countryside and the hot, dry vintage in which it was born. A wine with great personality that pairs well with Tuscan cuisine, Asian dishes, and brunches featuring cold cuts and cheeses.

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE: A WINE DEDICATED TO MEN IN THE WOMEN’S WINERY

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wineries—Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda—are the first in Italy to have an entirely female staff. The cellar workers, winemakers, sales staff, and tourist reception staff are all women. But there are important male figures in the company and in Donatella’s family, and she felt the need to dedicate a wine to them: Il Drago e le 8 Colombe.…

L'articolo IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE IGT TOSCANA 2022 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The summer of 2022 had been very hot and dry, but thanks to a storm in August, the grapes arrived at harvest with ideal analytical parameters. The grapes had very particular characteristics: small bunches, miniature berries, and very thick skins. For this reason, the vinification was extremely delicate, followed by a long maceration, and the maturation in wood began earlier than usual. These attentions allowed the production of an intense yet velvety Leone Rosso with good acidity.

THE LEONE ROSSO (RED LION) IS THE RAMPANT LION FROM THE COAT OF ARMS OF DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S ANCESTORS

The Fattoria del Colle, home to the vineyards and cellar that produce this Leone Rosso, was built in 1592 by the Socini or Sozzini family. This was an important Sienese family that, in the 16th century, was among the protagonists of the Protestant Reformation in Italy. “The ideas and writings of Lelio (1525-1562) and Fausto (1539-1604) Socino are studied in philosophy books at school. As a student, I was very proud to have such important ancestors,” says Donatella Cinelli Colombini. “Important but persecuted like all “freethinkers” who criticized the Church. And indeed, they lost everything.” “Fattoria del Colle was repurchased in 1919 by my great-grandfather Livio Socini, almost by chance,” Donatella continues to explain. “He fell in love with this place and restored it to its former splendour, just as I have tried to do.”…

L'articolo LEONE ROSSO ORCIA DOC 2022 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Fine wines are investment wines, managed like stocks, diamonds, or stamps. They’re wines that aren’t drunk but rather stored in safes to be resold at a higher price. This market is currently experiencing significant difficulties, especially for French wines, which traditionally dominate the market.

THE DRINKS BUSINESS IN SEARCH OF THE DARK EVIL OF FINE WINES

The Drinks Business interviewed some of the leading experts in this sector, first and foremost Liv-ex, a British portal similar to Nasdaq. The latter provides real-time charts, technical analysis, components, and quotes for stocks, while Liv.ex does the same for fine wines. I quote Max Lalondrelle’s exact words: “There’s something fundamentally wrong with the way we sell fine wines right now.”

What is this mistake? Those who buy a wine on reservation and then see it arrive on the market at a lower price get angry and realize that paying in advance isn’t worth it. This is why the speculative system has broken down and investments have fallen.

END OF THE SPECULATIVE BUBBLE, GENERATIONAL CHANGE, AND FEWER RICH WILLING TO SPEND SO MUCH

The point is that many investors have a good number of bottles of fine wines in their cellars—safes while the number of investors willing to buy them has declined.…

L'articolo HOW THE FINE WINES MARKET IS CHANGING sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Today, critics are no longer the only ones who pass judgment on wines; there are sommeliers, wine educators, influencers, retailers, algorithms, and ordinary consumers who post their opinions on portals. Furthermore, many consumers, especially young ones, prioritize values ​​such as sustainability, authenticity, and wine’s ability to narrate a story rather than “quality.” This is an abstract concept that perhaps less closely aligns with their need to represent themselves through what they eat, what they wear, or the style of their place of residence.

For this reason, “the authority once placed in a single score appears increasingly unstable,” writes Konstantin Baum, Germany’s youngest Master of Wine. The notes below are largely taken from his WineSearcher article, which I encourage you to read.

THE BIRTH AND INFLUENCE OF WINE SCORES

In this evolving landscape, the value of wine scores is also changing.

The success of the scores out of one hundred lies in its simplicity. The numbers are quick to understand and reduce the complexity of wine—regions, grape varieties, appellations, vintages—to something simple that needs no explanation and helps consumers avoid making mistakes in their choices. This need has become even more important with the advent of e-commerce.…

L'articolo ARE WINE SCORES STILL USEFUL? sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Wine Spectator is the most widely read and followed magazine among collectors and high-spending wine lovers around the world. Achieving a good score in this magazine means gaining entry to the top restaurants and wine shops. Achieving this every year, as happens with Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s wines, is a sign of consistent quality that only the best wineries can achieve.

The critic tasting the Brunello and other Tuscan wines is Bruce Sanderson, senior editor of Wine Spectator, who has directed the magazine’s tastings for years.

94/100 BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2021

This splendid Brunello has received very high scores throughout the international press: 95/100 Wine Advocate-Robert Parker, 94/100 VINOUS.

Sanderson’s description is precise and evocative. The advice is to wait to drink it, but there are also tips on how to drink it now: <<In this red, aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and iron are framed by spicy notes. Balanced, although the dense tannins take time to integrate. There seems to be a hint of new oak, which integrates with aeration, so decant if you want to enjoy it young. Optimal from 2029 to 2047>>. 323 cases produced. 85 cases imported. – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

Summary obtained:

93/100 BRUNELLO 2021

The 2021 Brunello also has a very detailed and evocative tasting description. “A mature style, with notes of plum, blackberry, and blackcurrant, iron, tobacco, and menthol that add interest as it becomes more compact on the robust finish.…

L'articolo WINE SPECTATOR  ON THE BRUNELLOS 2021 AND RISERVA 2020 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

THE GIFT BOX CONTAINS 3 SMALL 100ML (USA 3,3 oz -UK 3,5 oz)  CANS OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, A PERFECT PRESENT

Moraiolo, elegant and delicate. It pairs perfectly with both raw and cooked vegetables, fish, and fresh stretched-curd cheeses, such as mozzarella.

Correggiolo, intense and structured. Its intensity calls for equally bold flavours, such as legume soups, grilled or stewed red meats, game, and mushrooms.

Traditional mixed, harmonious and balanced. Ideal with vegetable soups, bruschetta, crostini, and red meats.

6 100ML (USA 3,3 oz -UK 3,5 oz) CANS OF TRADITIONAL EVO OLIVE OIL

These cans can be thought of as small gifts for friends, but also as place cards for an important dinner. Or you can take them with you on a picnic dedicated to nature and natural things.

Also perfect to be served at the picnic is our Spumante Metodo Classico Brut Rosé

SPUMANTE BRUT ROSE’

Bubbles bring joy! This is an excellent Tuscan-style sparkling wine designed to accompany a meal. Made from organically grown Sangiovese grapes, it comes from a small, exclusive series of 1,200

bottles, designed for discerning wine lovers seeking something new. It aims high and plays on elegance and flavour. Suitable for aperitifs, savoury pastries, and throughout the meal when delicate dishes are served just like during a picnic

Vintage 2020 *****

• 94 Wine Enthusiast
• 90 Vinous – Eric Guido

🎁As a gift, included in the offer a free sparkling wine stopper, personalized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini winery logo, in case the bottle does not get finished.…

L'articolo OFFER: 2025 EVO OIL TO GIFT AND BUBBLES TO DRINK! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

The most cautious opinion comes from Michael Godel, a great connoisseur of Brunello and Tuscan winemaking in general, who tasted the 2019 Orcia Doc Cenerentola in November 2024 when it was “better to continue waiting” as he himself wrote.

ORCIA DOC, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WINE IN THE WORLD

The other tastings were conducted in March 2026, and the score rises to 93-94 points. David Lawrason has words of high praise: “The nose is extraordinary, very expressive, with complexity from maturation and a mix of red and black fruits… It’s full-bodied, with pronounced acidity and a notable warmth from the 15% alcohol. The tannins are quite firm and drying, but not green. The length is excellent, verging on exceptional.”

Wow, what a beautiful comment.

Sara d’Amato—an ecologist, writer, and highly experienced sommelier—also delivers a thrilling description. “The result is elegant and generous, both in aromas and on the palate. The oak is expertly integrated, allowing fruit and spice to unfold harmoniously. The tannins are ripe and enveloping, in line with the growing sensation of warmth provided by the 15% alcohol in the finish, which offers excellent length.”

The 94/100 rating comes from John Szabo, Canada’s first Master Sommelier and author of the book Volcanic Wines, which helped the world rediscover the uniqueness and charm of wines born near smoking mountains.…

L'articolo CENERENTOLA CHARMS CANADA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

In 2014, Roberto Benigni was the protagonist of a RAI program entitled Ten Commandments. One of his most famous speeches is the one on happiness, broadcast on December 1st.

The central line is this: “Make others happy. I said ‘happy’, not ‘better’. Don’t try to make others better. There’s only one person you should try to make better: yourself. You have to make others happy, and to make someone happy, you have to be happy yourself! Be happy, be happy, and become the adult you wish you had by your side when you were a child.”

According to Roberto Benigni, happiness is a gift and an achievement. All men and women are born happy, but if they don’t work on themselves to be better, they lose their happiness and, with it, the ability to make others happy.

A statement so simple it seems banal, but it’s actually profound and particularly connected to Easter. Even those who don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God must recognize that accepting torture and death for the love of others is something enormous.

“Love one another as I have loved you,” says Jesus, and it’s the same phrase that Benigni uses: “Make others happy.” The verb is different, but the meaning is the same, because love given generously makes those around us happy.…

L'articolo HAPPY EASTER sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

10 VINTAGES OF ORCIA DOC CENERENTOLA TOGETHER WITH FASHION, DESIGN, EVENTS, SONGS AND FILMS FROM THE SAME YEARS TO DISCOVER HOW WINE IS CULTURE AND A MIRROR OF HUMANITY

Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her daughter Violante transformed the presentation of the 2020 Orcia DOC Riserva Cenerentola into a true workshop centred on the concept of “wine is culture.” A new and stimulating experience that engaged 60 guests, including journalists and industry professionals.

We’ll try to understand if wine changes its interpretation of the vineyard like a great piece of music. To illustrate the concept with an example, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 has a different character whether the orchestra is conducted by Toscanini, von Karajan, or Muti. The score is the same, just as the grapes and terroir are the same, but the final result changes based on an interpretation of the historical moment.

On Monday, March 23, at the Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda, for the first time, the wine will be tasted alongside the civilization in which it was born, an experience that will likely open new horizons for wine storytelling.

The tasting includes 10 vintages: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 of Orcia DOC Cenerentola, and the new 2020 Riserva, under the impeccable guidance of Ilaria Lorini, the first woman to be crowned Best Italian Sommelier (AIS) in 2025. From the first Italian wineries with an all-female staff, one could not expect anything different.

WINE IS CULTURE, AND WE’LL PROVE IT

The new aspect of the March 23^rd tasting of Orcia DOC Cenerentola comes when information on the climate, winemaking, and maturation of each vintage is complemented by the historical, musical, design, fashion, sports, and film events that characterize those same months.…

L'articolo PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA CENERENTOLA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

I’m talking about events that occurred about fifty years ago. Federico Fellini often came to my mother’s winery in Montalcino, thanks to our mutual friendship with Mario Guidotti, a journalist and cultural promoter. After the first, more formal visits, Italy’s greatest director began arriving unannounced, like a member of the family.

The problem was that, often, my parents were away, and I had to welcome Fellini alone. I was very young and lived a very bourgeois and decidedly provincial existence between Montalcino and Siena. I was used to meeting intellectuals and famous people because my family had always had that kind of association, but Federico Fellini was decidedly in another league.

That man was a legend, a world-renowned genius with five Academy Awards. His fame was so immense that it would have intimidated people far more skilled than me. I was incredibly nervous in front of him, my hands were sweating, I couldn’t sit still, and above all, I could only say a few polite words, but I didn’t know how to communicate with him; I felt like I had nothing interesting to say. What a shame!

Federico Fellini and his wife Giulietta Masina would come to Tuscany for the beneficial “waters” in Chianciano.…

L'articolo FEDERICO FELLINI AND DONATELLA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

It all began while my husband Carlo was in the hospital after falling down the stairs and undergoing an operation that left him almost immobile in bed, experiencing a real ordeal.

During that sad time, I met Stefania Magnani, president of the Misericordia di Sinalunga, so as to volunteer. She directed me to two activities: preparing food parcels and raising funds to finance the purchase of two ambulances. At the time, the Misericordia needed to replace two ambulances that had already travelled more than 250,000 kilometres and they had only €10,000 in cash. The president was extremely worried and was considering buying two used ambulances to keep them going for a few years.

THE MISERICORDIA DI SINALUNGA LACKING TWO AMBULANCES

A local association called the Misericordia di Sinalunga is responsible for the emergency medical service (118) for a vast area that also includes a stretch of the A1 highway, but is far from hospitals. Therefore, transporting injured, heart attack patients, or seriously ill patients for many kilometres in vehicles with sub-par heating and shock absorbers means they arrive at the hospital even more shaken. Unfortunately, the health system reimburses ambulance travel, but the purchase of the vehicles is paid for by charity.

When the doctors told us that Carlo was dying, I called the President of the Misericordia to arrange the funeral and told her, “I will also think of you and the ambulance.…

L'articolo 2 AMBULANCES FOR CARLO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

When I first went to the UK, I bought a kilt that I wore for years. I was 17, and in Italy, especially in Siena, it wasn’t possible to buy anything similar. There were pleated skirts with tartan patterns, but not in the same wool and not with such beautiful designs.

Over the next 50 years, the industrial production of clothing, food, and originally handcrafted objects, as well as globalization, led to a progressive diffusion of “ethnic products” in world markets. Kilts could also be purchased in Tuscany and later online, at prices much cheaper than my first tartan skirt. But the quality was no longer the same, nor was the charm of an authentic object purchased in the production area.

Once upon a time, the greatest appeal of travel was the possibility of immersing oneself in a reality different from one’s own, where the sights, lifestyle, sounds, flavours, and smells allowed one to discover a civilization whose artistic monuments were the jewels of its crown.

HOW GLOBALIZATION AND OVERTOURISM HAVE KILLED LOCAL PRODUCTS

Today, overtourism, hit-and-run shopping, the transformation of destinations, encrusted with shops selling fake souvenirs, and living like tourists instead of residents… has led to an erosion of local identity.…

L'articolo THE VALUE OF “ONLY THERE” IN TOURISM sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

In Montalcino, as in Barolo, there are many wine producers born into farming families who have become international winemaking stars. I’ve always wondered whether this growth was the result of production spurred by innovation or commercial insight… or whether it arose from the ability to interpret the gifts of the land like a sculptor does with marble.

BEING A GREAT PRODUCERS MEANS PRODUCING GREAT QUALITY OR GREAT NUMBERS

How does the transformation from grape grower to successful entrepreneur happen?

Obviously, the great winemakers—and I’m thinking of people like Bepi Quintarelli, Alessandro Mori from Il Marroneto, or Elena Fucci—raise attention to their territory with their splendid wines, setting an example and opening the market to other producers as well.

Their success seems to be tied to their personal talent and their ability to make it visible.

Then there are the successful producers who transform from grape growers into great entrepreneurs, and this is what I’d like to focus on.

In books, the transformation from artisan to entrepreneur is described as the shift from making things to managing production and planning long-term strategies, “from working in the lab to working on the lab.” Translating this concept to wine, we could say that a wine producer becomes an entrepreneur when he stops thinking only about the vineyard and begins to think in terms of project, market, and value.…

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By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

As always, Monica Larner, editor of the Robert Parker- Wine Advocate, impresses with her above-average journalistic professionalism. She’s not just a taster, as many of her colleagues are; she’s above all a journalist capable of narrating wine regions and explaining their evolution over time. Reading her helps us understand the appellations, of which she is one of the most faithful and profound narrators. This professional trait derives from her education at Boston University and then New York University, as well as from her experience in the editorial offices of three major newspapers: La Repubblica, the International Herald Tribune, and Corriere della Sera.

A more than solid background which, in more recent years, has been combined with an excellent tasting ability that places Monica Larner among the best wine critics in the world.

93/100 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2021

Wearing its maturity with confidence, the organic Brunello di Montalcino 2021 Donatella Cinelli Colombini expresses dark fruit, black cherry, and hints of crème de cassis in a style that tends to be richer and more concentrated than much of the current Montalcino wine scene. Although the wine initially presents itself as modern or contemporary, it ultimately resolves with a sleek elegance and a harmonious progression that remains true to the character of the Sangiovese grape.…

L'articolo MONICA LARNER: EXCELLENT SCORES FOR THE NEW BRUNELLOS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The Ardita vineyard is one of Montalcino‘s finest. Every year, in any climate, it produces perfect grapes with small clusters and berries and uniform ripening.

It was planted in 2002 at 225 meters above sea level in a Plio-Quaternary soil with a prevalence of clay and marine sand. It had a slow start and is still not very vigorous; in fact, it almost never requires green harvesting because it spontaneously produces about a kilo of grapes per plant.

Like all the world’s great vineyards, the Ardita vineyard requires very little attention; in other words, it “does everything itself” thanks to a particular terroir. Even in the cellar, the wine produced from the Ardita vineyard requires no human intervention because it is flawless; therefore, it simply needs to be carefully stored in the finest quality barrels.

For this reason, the tasters who choose Brunello Prime Donne through blind tastings of the estate’s entire production often prefer the powerful, velvety structure of the wine from the Ardita vineyard. In the past, they requested it be aged in barrels (15-20 hl), but now they are also fascinated by the character of 5-7 hectoliter tonneaux, especially when steam-bent.

THE 2021 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

The 2021 harvest will be remembered as the longest and most expensive because the grapes were selected bunch by bunch in the vineyards. Due to an Arctic current that swept across Europe at the end of April, a large portion of the buds were scorched by the frost, while those that were still closed opened late, several days later.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRIME DONNE 2021 ORGANIC AND SINGLE VINEYARD sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

A tribute to women who make a difference

An offer designed to celebrate femininity in wine, the strength of women who innovate, and the courage of those who have paved new paths towards gender equality. Two iconic wines, born from a unique winery in Italy: the first with an entirely female staff.

This selection is designed to:

• 🎁 Give to a special woman, as a sign of esteem and recognition
• 💪 Celebrate women who break down barriers, in work, in society, in life
• 🕊 Remember and honour all those who have paved the way in the fight for gender equality

Each bottle contains a story of commitment, talent and female passion

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Donatella Club Members

3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2021 and 3 bottles of Cenerentola Orcia DOC 2021

2 bottles of each wine with its own label

And one bottle of each type with a customizable label

+2 shopping bags, 2 tissue papers, and 2 package sealers customized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo

Price: 234,00 euro instead of  268,50 euro

For those who wish to double

459 euro instead of 537,00

🍇 For all other friends

3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2021 and 3 bottles of Cenerentola Orcia DOC 2021

2 bottles of each wine with its own label

And one bottle of each type with a customizable label

+2 shopping bags, 2 tissue papers, and 2 package sealers customized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo

📅 Offer valid until: February 23rd, 2026

Price: 249,00 euro instead of 268,50 euro

For those who wish to double

485 euro instead of 537,00

🛒 How to order

Just one click and the wine arrives directly to your home!…

L'articolo An offer of “Wines for Her”, and not just for her! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, wineseacher, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

Do you know what dyslexia is? It’s a neurodiversity, meaning a different way of processing information, resulting in emotional, sensory, and cognitive perception in relation to the environment that differs from that of “normal” people.

In other words, I and other dyslexics don’t have a deficit, but we are different. My mother was dyslexic, I am, and so is my daughter Violante. Dyslexia is hereditary.

THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY DYSLEXIA

When I was little, dyslexia wasn’t widely known in Italy, and I was considered a bit stupid because I read and wrote worse than my classmates. With my proverbial tenacity, I began to frantically read two books a week, and this practice helped me enormously in school.

In addition to the well-known difficulty distinguishing left from right, whereby d-b p-q e-a are the same letters for us, dyslexia has other drawbacks: where driving is on the left, we dyslexics become dangerous drivers. We don’t hear the sequence of sounds, so I only understand music after listening to a song dozens of times. But even the sounds within words and the sequence of words are difficult. This is why many dyslexics, and I among them, learn foreign languages ​​with enormous difficulty.…

L'articolo I AM DYSLEXIC sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination 

Wine tourists flock to our wineries at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda from April to November, but the peak season is September and October. However, the wineries are open even in winter, though reservations are absolutely essential as the reception service is by request only.

The few visitors we do have have tangible advantages. They are pampered, and if they want to stay a few more minutes, they aren’t pressured by le next tourists.

IN JANUARY YOU CAN BE THE FIRST TO TASTE THE NEW BRUNELLO

For us Brunello producers, the new vintage begins on January 1st, so wine lovers who visit my cellars in the first month of the new year can sample and take home an exclusive new wine to offer to friends, since only a few journalists have already tasted it. Typically, at this stage, Brunello is still slightly closed, like any wine destined for long aging, but it has greater energy, offering a beautiful tasting experience for those who drink it.

FROM NOVEMBER TO JANUARY, NEW BARRELS ARRIVE IN THE CELLAR

The winter months are the time for racking. The old barrels leave the cellar and the new ones move in. It’s a bit like moving house!…

L'articolo WHAT A WINE TOURIST SEES IN MY WINERY IN WINTER sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The three Toscana Lovers stores in Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Cortona are owned by Casato SRL, a company wholly owned by Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her daughter Violante. Casato SRL also owns the 20 hectares of vineyards and the Casato Prime Donne winery buildings in Montalcino, where Donatella produces Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino, which she exports to 44 foreign markets.

HISTORY OF THE TOSCANA LOVERS  CHAIN OF STORES

“The first Toscana Lovers shop opened in Siena in 2006, when I finished my first term as the city’s tourism councillor,” says Donatella Cinelli Colombini. “I thought I wouldn’t be re-elected. My husband, Carlo, owned a beautiful shop in Siena’s historic centre, and I asked him to vacate it so we could start a business selling Tuscan objects handcrafted according to our traditions.

I didn’t expect the mayor to call me back to serve as councillor, and when he did, I asked him, ‘But what am I going to do with the shop now? I’ve also bought the furniture.’ He replied, ‘Open it, but don’t make any requests to the city.’ That’s why the shop remained without a sign for five whole years. It was during my time as tourism councillor that I realized that craftsmanship is the true barrier to the decline of tourism, from fake souvenirs to industrial imitations—often imported from abroad—of traditional products.”…

L'articolo TOSCANA LOVERS: THE SHOPS FOR THE BEST TUSCAN CRAFTSMANSHIP sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Alessia Bianchi, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Donatella Cinelli Colombini

What determines the quality of extra virgin olive oil? It depends almost equally on nature and man. The terroir (soil and microclimate) determines the quality of the oil by 50%, the cultivar (i.e., its cultivation and harvesting method) by 25%, and finally, the mill and storage methods by 25%.

The Trequanda area and its olive oil production have been among the most renowned and appreciated for centuries. It is a small territory with abundant calcareous soils, its altitude is over 400 meters, its climate is breezy, and its distance from the sea means olive fly rarely reaches it. This area is particularly suited to olive cultivation, and the oil produced here is of the highest quality. Our production is entirely organic. Fattoria del Colle has 6 hectares of olive groves with approximately 1,600 trees grown in VASE (vase-trained). The olive varieties are Frantoio-Correggiolo, Moraiolo, and a few Olivastra.

The olives are hand-picked in October and November while still green. They are then stored in perforated crates and transported to nearby mills. Since 2025, we have been researching and differentiating the pressing process at three different mills in the area, with the aim of increasing the quality and accentuating the oil’s distinctive characteristics

FATTORIA DEL COLLE ORCIAIA PROJECT

The new oil storage room was created inside two wine vats from the early 20th century.…

L'articolo EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE (1) sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The very small production run limits this wine’s audience to connoisseurs seeking exclusive bottles. In short, it’s a rare gem.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year,” said Donatella Cinelli Colombini, without hiding her affection for the Cenerentola wine, which she considers one of the greatest successes of her professional life. “I believed in the native Foglia Tonda grape variety when it was on the verge of extinction, and I followed step by step the research for the right way to grow, harvest, and age it. I found winemakers who love it as much as I do—Valérie Lavigne and Barbara Magnani—and I made the Cenerentola DOC Orcia wine a true princess of winemaking,” she says, referring to the international ratings that award it scores between 91 and 94 out of 100.

“Producing an Orcia Riserva means showcasing Cenerentola’s excellent aging potential. The Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda grape varieties are genetically father and son. The former gives the wine elegance, the latter power. In the Fattoria del Colle terroir, at 400 meters above sea level, they find a particularly favourable habitat, producing elegant, powerful, velvety, and wines for cellaring.”

DOC ORCIA CENERENTOLA 2020 FROM FAIRY TALE TO WINE

Each magnum bottle will come in a white “royal case” with gold lettering that recalls the fairy tale from which the wine’s name originates.…

L'articolo CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC RISERVA 2020-ORGANIC sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, wine destination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Eric Guido, editor of Vinous, always has a serious, almost sullen expression, but he’s actually an extremely kind and passionate man. He loves wine and food, but also the people behind the bottles, and he himself loves working in the kitchen.

He tastes for Vinous, Antonio Galloni’s portal, which in just a few years has established itself as one of the most authoritative and objective voices in global wine press. This goal also stems from Galloni and Guido’s tireless and meticulous work in the wine regions.

Eric Guido‘s tasting of our Brunellos took place last November and was subsequently published on Vinous with a brief introduction. <<The Donatella Cinelli Colombini estate, run entirely by a female team, has been one of my favourites for many years. These wines always display class and elegance, and age surprisingly well despite their immediate appeal. The 2021s are no exception>>. How thrilling to read these words!

96/100 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO IOSONODONATELLA 2019

This is a very small series of just 300 bottles produced with grapes from the Ardita vineyard. The wine matured in five to seven hectolitre oak barrels, while the vinification and pre-bottling period took place in bare concrete vats and egg-shaped tanks. Eric’s description is so beautiful that I’m copying it almost entirely here: << The Brunello di Montalcino IosonoDonatella 2019 is sleek and sensual, irresistible with its magnificent interplay of black cherries and crushed raspberries, enriched with nuances of mint, Earl Grey, and dried roses.…

L'articolo ERIC GUIDO REWARDS DONATELLA’S BRUNELLOS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

This is a unique opportunity for true wine lovers. We’re delighted to present a preview of two extraordinary new vintages of Brunello di Montalcino from Casato Prime Donne by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

These wines are released on January 1st, so those who participate in this offer will be among the first in the world to taste them and share them with friends.

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Members of Donatella’s Club

3 bottles of Brunello 2021

3 bottles of Brunello Riserva 2020

+ brochure with a map and information about the Montalcino area

Price: €319.00 instead of €370.00

For those who double up

€624.00 instead of €740.00

🍇 For all other friends

3 bottles of Brunello 2021

3 bottles of Brunello Riserva 2020

+ brochure with a map of the Montalcino area

Price: €349.00 instead of €370.00

For those who double up

€689.00 instead of €740.00

🎁 For those who take advantage of this offer, a brochure with a map of the Montalcino area will be included.

NEWS FOR FRIENDS IN THE US, WE WILL PAY THE TARIFFS!!!

This offer is for those who want to start the new year with the perfect wines to celebrate every special occasion!

📅 Offer valid until: January 12, 2026

🛒 How to order

Just one click and the wine arrives directly to your home!…

L'articolo EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Brunello 2021 and Riserva 2020! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino

I’ve known Antonietta Mazzeo for over ten years and have always admired her expertise and thoroughness. These qualities sometimes complicate her life, because like all very sincere people, she also says unpleasant things. The flip side is that everyone can trust her words

In this spirit, I had her taste my 2025 oil, just arrived from the Frantoio di Montalcino mill. Antonietta Mazzeo was in Trequanda to moderate the conferences and lead the tasting panel at the “Festa dell’Olio Novo,” which takes place every year in mid-October. My request stemmed from the desire to evaluate which mill was ideal for our olives, given that we were using three this year. Antonietta told me, “It’s good, very good,” and I decided to return her favour by saying, “Take the bottle home to dress your vegetables.” She smiled happily, “Thank you, I’m really pleased.”

I didn’t expect her to call me a few days later and say, “I did the organoleptic analysis of your oil, can I publish it?” I accepted, and now I’m sharing it with you.

FATTORIA DEL COLLE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

2025 Olive Oil Campaign

Tasting:  October 20, 2025

Unfiltered Sample

Cultivar: Blend of Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio

“…Medium-intense green fruitiness, with a predominance of artichoke and rocket.…

L'articolo ANTONIETTA MAZZEO AND DONATELLA’S EVO OIL sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Casato Prime Donne is usually the first to harvest Brunello grapes, but in 2021, it was among the last to harvest in Montalcino.

This is a very strange year, beginning with the disappointment of the frost that struck all of Europe’s vineyards. In our vineyards, it burned the tips of the first shoots and delayed the opening of those that were still covered when the cold wind arrived. This had two effects: a reduction in grape production and uneven ripening. Indeed, bud break marks the beginning of a vegetative cycle that lasts about six months. The 20-day gap between the first and last shoots resulted in uneven ripening. The result was a very labour-intensive harvest, requiring us to harvest each parcel separately and even go through the same vineyard multiple times, selecting bunch by bunch. This was a painstaking task, entirely done by hand by the pickers.

2021: THE LONG, CAREFUL, AND SPECTACULAR BRUNELLO HARVEST

Most of the harvest was therefore postponed to the end of September.

The bunches resembled those of Pinot Noir: small, open, and with miniature berries.

The heat and drought were also severe, with only two rains totalling 31 mm of rain from June to September, and peaks of over 40°C mid-August. However, paradoxically, the Sangiovese vines ripened in perfect health.…

L'articolo ORGANIC BRUNELLO 2021 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The highly elegant style that characterizes all Donatella Cinelli Colombini wines is enhanced in the Brunello Riserva. These are wines designed to last. In the 2020 vintage, this characteristic is extremely evident in the silky yet taut tannins and the acidity that lends vitality to the palate and is well balanced by the intensity of the flavour and the alcohol. Those who drink it now will find a great Brunello in their glass, but those who have the patience to wait two or three years will enjoy truly extraordinary powerful and velvety harmonies.

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IN THE VINEYARD AND IN CELLAR OF CASATO PRIME DONNE

In 2020, the winter was mild and dry, so the vines budded early, and the frost of March 18-23 caused more damage than expected for that time of spring. The result was a reduction in the number of grapes in the vineyards. A very rainy June allowed the vines to withstand sixty days of scorching heat from mid-July to mid-September. The leaves were used for shade, leaving the rows with an unattractive but highly protective bushy appearance. For the same reason, pre-harvest leaf removal was avoided.

At harvest time, the grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy, with well-lignified seeds, and had the typical crispness of great vintages. Analytical data even better than 2019: smaller berries, higher extractable polyphenols, potential alcohol around 14%, and a good acidity.…

L'articolo DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI PRESENTS HER BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

All the wineries in Montalcino are beautiful, but Casato Prime Donne is unique because the vineyards are more than just vines and the cellars are more than just barrels. In the first Italian winery with an all-female staff, which also achieved gender certification in 2025, wine lovers will find many surprises and experiences that will enthral even the most experienced.

THE EXCEPTIONALITY OF A VISIT TO THE CASATO PRIME DONNE WINERY

Contemporary works of art enrich the marvellous landscape of the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Alongside, dedications by great women help you reflect and recharge, amplifying the benefits of walking amidst nature preserved by organic farming.

In the winery, painted images and videos tell the story of Montalcino and its people’s sense of belonging. A different way to understand Brunello and discover how only there could a unique and extraordinary wine be born, the fruit of a land and a people with a strong character.

THE FIVE 2026 CASATO PRIME DONNE EXPERIENCES IN MONTALCINO

Each of the 5 experiences offered to wine lovers,  in its own way, tell this story. The Brunello Experience is for those who want to discover Montalcino. Whereas the wine and music tasting and the Brunello vertical tasting are dedicated to the most expert wine lovers and those seeking unique experiences.…

L'articolo EXPERIENCE WITH MYSTERIOUS WINES AT CASATO PRIME DONNE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winetourism, Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

The 2025 “Global Wine Tourism Report” has been commissioned by top-level clients, including the UN Tourism Organization, the OIV – International Organization of Vine and Wine, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWC), and WineTourism.com. The scope is also vast, encompassing the entire world, with 1,310 wineries interviewed in 47 countries, but with a particular focus on Europe, which accounts for 70% of the sample, with Italy in a dominant position (17%).

PERHAPS TOO MANY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WINE TOURISM BUSINESS

Wineries are showing strong interest worldwide: two out of three wineries report that wine tourism is profitable or very profitable. This type of  tourism generates approximately a quarter of their total revenues. This percentage is likely higher in North America and smaller in Europe.

Confirming the expectations of all wine companies regarding wine tourism, it’s worth noting that half of the sample intends to invest, and the majority expects growth in both fluxes and business. Indeed, there’s a widespread belief that this type of  tourism is countercyclical, or at least more resilient, and therefore capable of boosting sales in times of crisis.

Among Europeans, there’s greater reluctance to develop wine tourism. 57% of wineries not open to the public attribute this to a lack of staff, while among non-European wineries, the percentage drops to 30%.…

L'articolo WINE TOURISM IN WINERIES AROUND THE WORLD sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The new offer includes a blend of EVO oil and two single-cultivar varieties from Fattoria del Colle, delivered directly to your door for tasty and healthy dishes for €179.00.

You’ll receive four bottles of 0.75L organic EVO oil 2025, and two bottles each of 0.5L organic EVO oil 2025 Correggiolo and Moraiolo. Freshly pressed oil with its intense aroma and vibrant flavour, delivered directly from the mill to your table.

Fattoria del Colle is located in Trequanda, one of the best areas in Tuscany and the world for producing extra virgin olive oil thanks to its sandy soil, its remote location from the sea, and its altitude of over 400 meters, which protects it from olive fruit flies. The farm has 6 hectares of organic olive groves and sells exclusively its own oil. The olives are hand-harvested between October and November and pressed at the Oliviera Sant’Angelo, 10 km from the farm, and at the Frantoio di Montalcino.

🎁 For those who take advantage of this offer, a video with the “Guide to tasting EVO oil”!

The new oil

Fattoria del Colle produces organic extra virgin olive oil from the Correggiolo (Frantoio) variety, Moraiolo, and, in larger quantities, a blend of both varieties.

The Correggiolo variety is distinctive for its small, slightly asymmetrical, ovoid-shaped green olives. In fact the oil produced with 100% Correggiolo olives is golden yellow in colour with light

green tones. The flavour is distinguished by strong, golden bitterness and spiciness.…

L'articolo OFFER: NEW OLIVE OIL FOR YOU! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

For many years, renowned Canadian critic Michael Godel has spent extensive periods in Montalcino. He has visited most of the Brunello wineries, tasting all their wines. He therefore has a deep knowledge of the places, the people, and the different Brunello production philosophies, including its evolution over time. Receiving a positive assessment from him is a great honour and a great satisfaction.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini was delighted to receive the stellar scores of 96, 95, 95, 94, and 93 awarded by Godel to five of her Brunellos. These wines are produced at  Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino  on the northern slope of the Montalcino hill, where the clay-rich soil is cooler and creates ideal conditions for the gradual ripening of the grapes.

96/100 BRUNELLO IOsonoDonatella 2019

Michael Godel is charmed by this wine and its history, and he takes the time to explain it.

<<A name that means “I am what I am,” but also a sort of word game that says “we know how to do things, and this is our way of being.” Medieval studies of gold and enamels inspire the label of this unique Sangiovese, also produced in the 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 vintages.>>

Godel describes the taste of this small selection created by Donatella Cinelli Colombini in her image and likeness: “Exaggerated richness and elegance, with balsamic notes and a refined elegance at the highest level of a Sangiovese.”…

L'articolo MICHAEL GODEL’S EXCELLENT RATINGS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

It’s difficult to stand out in an international wine market overcrowded with bottles. Especially with a young appellation like the Orcia DOC, and even more so with a native grape variety abandoned for over a century.

This is why Donatella Cinelli Colombini is happy every time her Cenerentola wine achieves a good result, like the 92/100 awarded by Wine Spectator for the 2019 vintage.

The Orcia DOC was born on February 14, 2000, in the high hills of southern Tuscany, nestled between the Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano territories. Sandwiched between two important and famous sisters, the Orcia DOC is in a favourable position for vineyards but difficult to establish a commercial niche.

THE NAME CENERENTOLA INDICATES THE PRINCELY DESTINY OF THIS WINE

That’s why Donatella named her wine Orcia Cenerentola, betting on a native grape variety that almost no one cultivated anymore—Foglia Tonda—but which seemed to her an ideal partner for Sangiovese. The goal was to produce a wine with distinctive characteristics, capable of achieving success at the highest levels.  Therefore thanks to her passionate grape-growers and formidable cellar women, the training system, harvest timing, wine making technique, and barrel type were gradually perfected. A ten-year effort with stellar results at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda.

Today, the Orcia Cenerentola DOC receives scores between 91/100 and 93/100 from the most important international press.…

L'articolo 92/100 WS CENERENTOLA ALWAYS MORE A PRINCESS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

At the end of August, after 60 consecutive days of scorching heat, the vines were at a standstill, and Donatella Cinelli Colombini was very worried. Then the weather changed, with heavy thunderstorms and a drastic drop in temperatures, dropping to 10°C at night.

These were ideal conditions for grape ripening, skin softening, and the synthesis of aromas.

The harvest was carefully prepared, leaf-pulling and removing excess bunches from the vines.

The harvest calendar was then planned like a military operation, monitoring the weather forecast, analysing the grapes, and tasting them to position machines and workers on the best day for each vineyard or portion of the vineyard.

A planning that called for very long days and work even on holidays, but the result was excellent.

WHAT IS CHIANTI SUPERIORE?

In 1996, the Chianti DOCG regulations were amended to introduce the Chianti Superiore type, with stricter production regulations than standard Chianti. The vineyards for this wine must have particularly favourable soils and exposures, and yields are lower than those for Chianti.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s Chianti Superiore is a “family wine,” meaning it comes from the vineyards of those who vinified the grapes and bottled the wine.

FATTORIA DEL COLLE IN TREQUANDA

Practically a small hamlet, built by the current owner’s ancestors in 1592. Surrounding the villa and chapel are parks with three swimming pools, farmhouses converted into tourist accommodations, and a restaurant.…

L'articolo CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG 2024 FATTORIA DEL COLLE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

This offer is designed for your Christmas party planning. Three different magnums to enjoy during moments of conviviality with family or friends (last bottles available). These bottles will also be appreciated as gifts by collectors of fine wines.

🎁 Along with the bottles, you will find: a beautiful resin coaster directly from our Toscana Lovers stores and created by Riccardo Marzi.

What’s special about this offer?

The value of a magnum bottle of wine lies in its excellent ability to preserve and evolve the wine, thanks to less contact with oxygen and its ability to withstand temperature changes better than a standard bottle. In addition to the qualitative benefits, the magnum format offers a strong visual impact on special occasions and makes a surprising and memorable gift.

Cenerentola and Foglia Tonda

Two grapes are used to produce Cenerentola DOC Orcia: Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda, both native. Sangiovese is the main grape variety in Tuscany, and in the Orcia denomination, it must comprise at least 60% of the total. In Cenerentola, it accounts for approximately 65%. The Foglia Tonda grape variety is genetically a descendant of Sangiovese. It has been cultivated in Tuscany since time immemorial and is mentioned in 19th-century sources in the Chianti Classico region. Foglia Tonda vines have also been identified in Siena’s historic urban vineyards. It is a late-ripening vine that loves heat and tends to be overly fertile, so its cultivation is primarily aimed at limiting grape production.…

L'articolo CHRISTMAS IS CLOSE, HERE ARE 2 BRUNELLO AND 1 ORCIA FOR YOU! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Rejuvenate amidst landscapes shaped by man over the centuries, at the time of year when the Sangiovese vineyards turn to a golden splendour on the hills. It’s the season of the white truffle of the Crete Senesi, known for its extraordinary elegance, rivalling that of Alba. It is also season of freshly produced EVO oil, which at Fattoria del Colle is diversified into five varieties, one of which is preserved in antique terracotta jars. It’s the season when you can already preview the future 2021 Brunello. Click here for more info

3 UNFORGETTABLE WEEKENDS WITH TRUFFLES WITH AN INCREDIBLE AROMA  AND GREAT WINES

The first 3 weekends of November, coinciding with the Crete Senesi White Truffle Market.
Stays take place at Fattoria del Colle, a hamlet-like property built in 1592 around the villa where Donatella Cinelli Colombini still lives today. The villa will open its historic rooms for a guided tour.

The apartments and guest rooms retain much of their original furnishings and floors. Sleeping here will feel like staying in your Tuscan grandparents’ home.

The program unfolds over two or three days and is full of surprises and unique moments.

Of course, there’s truffle hunting in the woods with dogs, so you’ll need to bring wellies or rain boots, as well as a hooded windbreaker.…

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Autumn brings the pleasure of spending time together at the table, we have thought of something ideal for Thanksgiving. We’ve created a special gift set for you that captures the diverse spirit of our region, with wines to sip by the fireplace and something for the little ones, too:

• Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019, a wine with a silky harmony that conceals a powerful structure.
• Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2020, dedicated to strong personalities, decisive and full-bodied.
• Colombino Olive Oil, our most delicate extra virgin olive oil, in a 500 ml tin to keep on the table and in two practical 250 ml formats, perfect for any occasion.

A box that represents family in all its nuances: romantic, strong, and everyday.

🎁 Along with the bottles, you’ll find a Fattoria del Colle recipe book featuring the tastiest local recipes.

This is a special opportunity to receive two “family wines” from Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda.

The 2019 Riserva is a 100% Sangiovese wine, from Casato Prime Donne’s finest vineyard.

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, and 20% Sagrantino.

The offer is completed by two sizes of Fattoria del Colle EVO oil, the smallest ones suitable for children.…

L'articolo Family Gift Set: Wine and Olive Oil for Relaxing Moments Together sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Montalcino, September 13, the 2025 Casato Prime Donne Award ceremony concludes at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda with a cake in honour of the winner Darya Majidi, Donna 4.0.

It was created by students in the advanced pastry course at the Tessieri School of Ponsacco, led by instructor Fabio Centoni. A dessert that speaks of the dialogue between cultures, roots, and the future.

CAKE WITH IRANIAN RAW MATERIALS AND ETHICAL PRODUCTION

A story that describes Darya Majidi, a woman born in Iran and raised in Italy, tied to tradition and strongly committed to artificial intelligence and women’s understanding of it.

The dessert is made using three ingredients typical of Darya’s homeland (Iran): pistachio, pomegranate, and Medjool date. It’s all topped with Noalya chocolate, made with 72% cocoa from the Tessieri plantation in Venezuela.

HOW PASTRY CAN BECOME A SYMBOL OF INTEGRATION

Tierra is dedicated to the earth as a generator of life. A proclamation to ethical sustainability in the cocoa culture. Tierra is also women, as generators of life, innovators through creative intelligence. A pastry-making project, an act of education and inclusion, born in a school where pastry is also thought, language, and innovation.

The cake is therefore an educational project, a tangible example of how pastry making can foster culture, integration, and convey messages of hope.…

L'articolo TIERRA MULTI- ETHNIC CAKE CREATED FOR THE PRIMA DONNA 2025 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

THE WORK OF ART THAT ACCOMPANIES THE QUOTE BY THE PRIMA DONNA 2025, DARYA MAJIDI, IS BY A 17-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FROM THE SIENA ART HIGH SCHOOL, GIULIA LAPENTA

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda 

Ciclo infinito-Endless Cycle is an artistic installation approximately 3.5 meters high with a cylindrical, saw-cut travertine base with a split top. From this base emerge six silhouettes depicting human heads made of 14 mm diameter solid round iron, hand-painted with a silver, gold, and copper metallic effect. The irons rise to form faces and then descend to sink into the ground. The work was created by COIMA under the direction of architect Elisa Boldi.

CICLO INFINITO ENDLESS CIRCLE BY GIULIA LAPENTA

Young artist Giulia Lapenta developed the 2025 theme of the Casato Prime Donne Award, which concerns Artificial Intelligence, sending a message of alarm and the hope of a cycle that begins and ends on our planet’s surface.

The art installation is conceived of five elements: the earth, the base, the iron rods connecting the base to the heads, and the heads and tails.  Earth is the starting point, and from the earth emerges the base, which, with its cylindrical shape, symbolizes human evolution and the invention of the wheel. The heads represent AI and the attempt to recreate human intelligence, but the metal wires with which they are made of descend to the ground, indicating that artificial intelligence exists within a perpetual cycle.…

L'articolo ENDLESS CYCLE , 2025 ART INSTALLATION BY GIULIA LAPENTA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, wine destination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

3-time cooked  cauliflower can be served as an appetizer, a main course, or a side dish. In the Marche region, fried cauliflower is eaten without tomatoes and is delicious. The recipe I’m sharing is very tasty and can well enhance even banal dishes like roast beef or chicken breast. It harks back to grandmothers’ cooking, who, with humble ingredients, managed to create extraordinary flavours, warming the heart as well as the mouth.

This recipe also has another advantage: like all cabbage, it’s indigestible, so it fills for a long time and promotes weight loss.

It should be paired with the white wine used in cooking, so I recommend the IGT Toscana Sanchimento from Fattoria del Colle, a traminer with a hint of Grechetto, one-third of which is made following the Orange method.

INGREDIENTS AND DOSES FOR 3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER  (SERVES 4)

For the cauliflower: 1 large cauliflower, 100 g white flour, 1 egg, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, salt, and pepper.

For the tomato sauce: 500 g very ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, half a red onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, and a few basil leaves.

3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER, PREPARATION

The preparation is long and takes an hour and a half, but it’s incredibly easy.…

L'articolo 3-TIME COOKED CAULIFLOWER IN THE MONTALCINO MANNER sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

“Among the villages of the Val di Pesa, Valdelsa, and Val di Virginio is the workshop where our ceramics are born, nestled among the vineyards and hills,” says Sara Petreni, welcoming us to the Toscana Lovers shop in Siena, in Piazza Indipendenza, just a few steps from Piazza del Campo, where the Palio is run. “They are still made using the ancient techniques of the wheel, casting, and press, in a blend of styles. From country chic with dusty hues and shabby details to classic and contemporary. Hands that first draw and then shape the clay.” Sara shows the results of the ceramists’ patient work: bowls, plates, trays, jugs, cruets… the colours are typical of the Tuscan palette and landscapes. “Each shade is unique, created by the brush of a true artist who adds a touch of chiaroscuro, thus making the ceramic vibrate.”

The items for sale at Toscana Lovers appear to be of a new design, but instead they tell an ancient story.

ARTISAN TUSCAN CERAMICS FOR THE TABLE

So a red cruet will never be a simple container for oil, but an object that accompanies us during family meals, adding a touch of color that brightens every kitchen.

And then there are the dinner sets, the flower-like bowls, and even the bathroom collections.…

L'articolo TRENDY TUSCAN CERAMICS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The Casato Prime Donne Award 2025 is awarded to an extraordinary and visionary woman. An Italian-Iranian entrepreneur who has been fighting for years to increase the skills of women, especially young women, in artificial intelligence. Darya Majidi is the Woman 4.0 who believes in digital as a means to accelerate the path towards gender equality.

A few days ago Linkedin rated her among the 200 Top Voices in the world regarding AI. There are 4 Italians and Darya Majidi is the only woman. Fortune Italia listed her among the 50 Most Powerful Women in Italy and dedicated her to the cover of the October 2023 issue. In 2021, she was mentioned by D. di Repubblica as one of the 100 women who are changing the world, and in 2022, Io Donna by Corriere della Sera named her among the 10 women who are impacting Italy.

DARYA MAJIDI: SKILLS, HEART, AND COURAGE TO GIVE WOMEN A NEW FUTURE

<<The key is in three words: Breaking the glass ceiling that imprisons women in subordinate roles requires first breaking down a prejudice: that women are poorly suited to scientific studies. This isn’t true, and fearlessly facing the changes triggered by artificial intelligence is the way to achieve this.>> Indeed, according to the ICILS (International Computer and Information Literacy Study) survey, the digital skills of Italian thirteen-year-old girls reach a score of 500, compared to 482 for their male peers.…

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Would you like this offer featuring two vintages of Rosso di Montalcino for €264.00 delivered directly to your home?

This offer focuses on Rosso di Montalcino, a wine appreciated for its fragrance and freshness! 10 bottles of Rosso di Montalcino from two vintages and two different sizes: the 2023 Rosso di Montalcino in a 0.750 Liter bottle and the 2022 Rosso di Montalcino in a 1.5 liter magnum (last bottles available).

🎁 together with the bottles you will find: a corkscrew with the logo of the Donatella Cinelli Colombini winery

What’s special about this offer?

This is a special opportunity to receive two Rosso di Montalcino wines from different vintages, made with Sangiovese from the organic vineyards of Casato Prime Donne belonging to Donatella Cinelli Colombini. The two sizes allow you to choose the occasion for which to open them. An ideal wine for the last days of summer and autumn, for aperitifs, lunches, dinners, and parties. For events with a few close friends, or for a real celebration! Extraordinary: the white-label bottles allow you to personalize a gift for friends or family with a special dedication!

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Donatella Club Members

4 bottles of Rosso di Montalcino 2023, 0.75 litres

4 bottles of Rosso di Montalcino 2023 with customizable white label, 0.75 litres

2 Magnums of Rosso di Montalcino 2022, 1.5 litres

4 gift bags + 4 tissue papers + 4 package seals

1 personalized corkscrew

🎯 Special price: €264.00 (instead of €307.00)

💡 Want to double up?…

L'articolo Offer: two vintages, one passion for Rosso di Montalcino sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne

The data on EVO oil are impressive and reveal a bleak panorama. On one side, the Apulian olive groves destroyed by Xylella and the hilly ones abandoned due to lack of manpower. On the other side, a market unwilling to pay remunerative prices for Italian extra virgin olive oil made to the highest standards while the shop shelves are full of low-priced extra virgin olive oil from intensive olive groves in foreign countries.

The RTO Telematic Oil Registers show a stock of 190 thousand tons consisting of 71% EVO oil which is increasingly less Italian.

The Italian EVO oil production crisis does not seem to be stopping: plant diseases, adverse climate, abandonment of olive groves… the reasons are numerous but the results are devastating.

OUR NATIONAL PRODUCTION OF EVO OIL IS 28% OF WHAT WE NEED

Even the Italian olive harvest last autumn marked a drop of 90 thousand tons compared to the previous year. The production deficit is increasingly marked: we produce barely 240 thousand tons, that is 28% of what we need. Every year we need 850-900 thousand tons of which 550 for domestic consumption and 350 thousand tons for export. For this reason, agri-food industrialists source from Tunisia, Spain, Greece and other countries.…

L'articolo EXTRAVIRGIN OLIVE OIL: TRUE AND IMPORTED sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Coffee cups are not glass, not ceramic, not crystal, not amber, and most importantly, not plastic! These are handmade resin objects, each one different, but all crafted with the creativity and craftsmanship typical of Tuscan master craftsmen.

Almost artists, highly creative and gifted with extraordinary manual skills… these artisans share the same mentality as those who, during the Renaissance, filled Florence with masterpieces. Therefore, taking home a unique piece made by them means owning an authentic piece of “Tuscan genius,” even if it doesn’t cost as much as a Benvenuto Cellini sugar bowl.

TOSCANA LOVERS RESIN COFFEE CUPS

Tuscan essences are playfully yet elegantly incorporated into resin. Ears of wheat, flowers, chili peppers, spices, citrus fruits… a nature magically “suspended” to become “eternal.” It’s precisely this playful transgression that makes these cups so pop. Extraordinary craftsmanship, creative thinking, and outstanding compositional skill, but also a sense of lightness, as if the cups were saying, “Use me every day because I’ll put joy in your coffee.”

“The combination of natural elements and a special resin creates objects where every colour and shade reflect natural cycles, and leaves, flowers, fruits, and shells become fossilized amber,” explains Ilaria Perilli from the Toscana Lovers store in Bagno Vignoni, showing off a wide range of resin trays, tureens, and bowls.…

L'articolo FROM TOSCANA LOVERS COFFEE BECOMES FLOWERED sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

A fresh, healthy, pleasant Tuscan-Middle Eastern mix full of multi-ethnic suggestions: the vegetable garden and Tuscan peasant breakfasts with the flavour of Arab snacks

To be honest, the idea is not mine, I tasted this delicious appetizer in Campiglia d’Orcia during “Bianco di sera” an event organized by Elena Salviucci, president of the Strada del Vino Orcia, in one of the most panoramic and beautiful spots in Tuscany.

This is a pinzimonio, a typical peasant snack made with celery, fennel, cucumber, carrot, to be eaten after having dipped them in extra virgin olive oil. The novelty is the addition of chickpea hummus that is placed in the pinzimonio cups together with the oil.

The result is amazing. A new appetizer with a long history behind it in two different areas of the Mediterranean.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PINZIMONIO WITH HUMMUS

Dried chickpeas 200g

Lemon juice 90g

Tahini paste 70g

Garlic (optional) 1 clove

Extra virgin olive oil 50g

Water

Salt to taste

4 carrots

1 celery

2 fennels

2 peppers

2 cucumbers

PREPARATION OF THE PINZIMONIO WITH HUMMUS

The preparation is long and requires at least 3 and a half hours but is very very easy

The day before, soak the chickpeas in warm water.…

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In Montalcino, “pulpette avvolte” are the traditional sandwich for the “festa dei Bianchi”, namely of the Misericordia, the last Sunday in August. In reality, they are very tasty rolls, while the real polpette avvolte are a humble but tasty dish that is prepared in spring and autumn when the cabbages are ready in the garden.

It has the advantage of being able to be prepared the day before and heated up at the last moment, bringing an ancient and intense flavour to the table

INGREDIENTS OF TUSCAN WRAPPED MEATBALLS

For 4 people: 15 cabbage leaves, 500 g of minced meat, 100 g of salted pancetta, 1 egg, 50g of Parmigiano cheese, half

a glass of white wine and half a glass of milk, two slices of bread, salt, pepper, a sprinkling of nutmeg

PREPARATION OF POLPETTE AVVOLTE TOSCANE

Very easy, it takes about an hour including baking in the oven.

Wash the cabbage leaves and blanch them for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water. Dry them.

Soak the bread in the milk and squeeze it, mix it with the minced meat, diced pancetta, egg, Parmigiano, salt and pepper. Grate the nutmeg.

Form meatballs the size of mandarins and wrap them in cabbage.

Bake in the oven at 180°C for half an hour, placing baking paper on the bottom of the baking tin.…

L'articolo POLPETTE AVVOLTE OR CABBAGE ROLLS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

Regenerative tourism is a new trend that reflects the awareness of being in the privileged 10% of the world’s population that, however, produces half of the greenhouse gas emissions. Along with this sensitivity, the need to rediscover oneself by listening to one’s body grows. A need that generates the desire to take care of one’s physical and psychological well-being threatened by a growing sense of uncertainty and insecurity.

So the journey no longer includes just visits but experiences of what is natural, different and to be preserved. Regenerative tourism is not the cure for all the ailments of contemporary mankind but responds to his needs. It restores value to the territories and ecosystems where the journey takes place. Also it does not consume the territories it visits but helps their survival. It proposes a more minimalist and sustainable style in direct contact with nature and local life.

Fattoria del Colle, in Trequanda in Southern Tuscany, fully embodies this approach, offering experiences that enrich both visitors and the surrounding environment.

AUTHENTIC IMMERSION IN THE TERRITORY

Fattoria del Colle is a miraculously intact sixteenth-century hamlet, surrounded by 336 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, crops, woods and truffle reserves.…

L'articolo REGENERATE AND HELP REGENERATE WITH TOURISM IN TUSCANY sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestnation, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

I love super housewives more than starred chefs, but in this case, we can learn from them. They avoid contact between aluminium foil and food both in the oven and during storage because acids such as lemon or pickles could generate contamination. Check their recipes and you will see.

This is a valuable lesson that everyone should learn and bring into the kitchen. An article by Eugenio Marini in Gamberorosso Notizie goes into detail with plenty of examples.

ALUMINIUM IN COOKING AND IN CONTACT WITH ACIDIC FOODS CAN CONTAMINATE

Searching the Internet, alarming phrases come up. <<The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has established maximum limits for exposure to aluminium: a person who weighs 60 kilograms, for example, should not ingest more than 60 milligrams of aluminium per week>>. I wonder how to measure the 60 milligrams and therefore, as a precaution, it is better to remove aluminium from the kitchen.

The critical points, those in which the release of potentially toxic substances is greater, are cooking and contact with acids such as vinegar, tomato and lemon. Furthermore, using aluminium trays or aluminium foil as I have done, up until now, is absolutely wrong.

On the other front, that of those who consume, greater attention should be paid to pregnant women, people with kidney problems and children for whom toxicity can be a serious danger.…

L'articolo ALUMINIUM IN THE KITCHEN: BETTER NOT sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

The Rosso di Montalcino 2022 was born in a very hot year with no rain for seven months. The winemakers at Casato Prime Donne saw grapes arrive in the cellar with berries as small as peas that were then transformed into wines full of noble substances and especially tannins.

A WINE BORN WITH KINDNESS

To obtain silky wines from such a rich must, it was necessary to vinify with extreme delicacy, then extend the maceration in contact with the skins and then bring forward the placing in the barrel to November.

The result is a small masterpiece of harmony: a powerful but elegant and fresh wine thanks to the perfect acid content of the grapes.

The description written by Danielle Callegari perfectly reflects the character of this Rosso di Montalcino 2022 << Aromas of cherry, red orange peel, warm brick, earth and chopped sage create a nose that is at the same time austere, warm and structured. On the palate, crisp and fresh berries combine with notes of aromatic herbs, soil and citrus, all on deep and enveloping earthy tones>>.

WHO IS DANIELLE CALLEGARI

The comment is written by Danielle Callegari, editor for Italian wines at Wine Enthusiast. Danielle is a “super taster”, that is, a person with a higher-than-average number of taste buds, which allows her to identify flavors and aromas better than us mere mortals.…

L'articolo 92/100 AWARDED TO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2022 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne 

Until fifty years ago Montalcino was a poor town where families ate little meat and lots of vegetables because everyone had a vegetable garden. For this reason, the little beef was often boiled, which was mixed with sausages and rigatino to then be stuffed with onions, artichokes, courgettes, potatoes … depending on the season of the year. Housewives had in fact managed to invent delicious dishes that fed even the largest and poorest families. Today stuffed zucchini flowers or topini, as they are called in the Montalcino lexicon, are a delicious rarity. In fact, although they are delicious to eat and can be prepared in advance and then served after heating them in the oven they require a long preparation time. This circumstance discourages young people with very little time available.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE TOPINI DI MONTALCINO

For 6 people, easy to make, takes about two hours 20 courgette flowers, 2 cloves of garlic, a quarter of a red onion, a sprig of parsley, 50g of salty rigatino, 100g of salty Tuscan prosciutto, 100g of minced boiled beef or minced meat or alternatively 2 fresh pork sausages, 50g of Tuscan breadcrumbs, a glass of milk, 2 eggs, 50g of grated dry pecorino cheese, 50g of extra virgin olive oil, half a glass of white wine, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste or a cup of tomato puree, salt and pepper.…

L'articolo TOPINI FROM MONTALCINO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Dear friends, we have prepared for you an unmissable opportunity for true Sangiovese lovers! Two masterpieces from amazing vintages. The Rosa di Tetto IGT Toscana 2024, in preview, and the Brunello DOCG 2020.

🎁 together with the bottles you will find: two blue shopper bags, two sheets of tissue paper (to give a touch of elegance to a gift you will give to your friends) and the package sealer

What’s special about this offer?

This is a special opportunity to receive 2 different expressions of Sangiovese from the Donatella Cinelli Colombini farms. For the first time, part of the grapes used for the Rosa di Tetto 2024 come from the Casato Prime Donne vineyards in Montalcino. Donatella’s vineyards are grown organically and with great commitment.

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Members of Donatella’s Club

3 bottles 0.75L Rosa di Tetto IGT Toscana 2024

3 bottles 0.75L Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2020

two blue shopper bags, two sheets of tissue paper and two package sealers, all with the logo of the Donatella Cinelli Colombini wineries

🎯 Special price: €154.90 (instead of €184.20)

🚚 €10 discount on shipping

💡 Want to double?

12 bottles for €289.00 (instead of €368.40) with the same advantage on shipping.

For all wine lovers

3 bottles 0.75L Rosa di Tetto IGT Toscana 2024

3 bottles 0.75L Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2020

two blue shopper bags, two sheets of tissue paper and two package sealers, all with the logo of the Donatella Cinelli Colombini cellars

🎯 Price: €169.00 (instead of €184.20)

💡 Want to double?…

L'articolo Super offer with Rosa di Tetto 2024 and Brunello 2020! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

When I was young, the gastronome of Sienese cuisine was Giovanni Righi Parenti (1923-2006). Pharmacist, poet, painter and historian of local gastronomy. He was an example of that interdisciplinary and nonconformist culture that flourished by taking root in its territory. A pleasant conversationalist, an open and creative mind, a generous soul … Giovanni Righi Parenti was for decades a point of reference for cuisine enthusiasts, placing himself in the ranks of those pioneers who combined cultivation with culture: Soldati, Veronelli, Buonassisi ..

We owe him the rediscovery of a very poor dish from Southern Tuscany, the rivolti. According to him, they originated from the Crete Senesi and from there they emigrated to Florence where they began to fill them richly. They arrived in France with the chefs of Caterina de Medici when she married King Henry II in 1547. In Paris they took the name by which we know them today: crepes.

Originally, the rivolti were stacked one on top of the other with a simple dressing of oil and cheese. To eat them for breakfast, housewives cut them vertically, placing a slice made up of many overlapping triangles on a table.

Today in Trequanda and in the Crete Senesi the recipe has been enriched and has changed its name to become crespelle.…

L'articolo RIVOLTI OR CRESPELLE DELLE CRETE SENESI sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Rosé wines intense enough to accompany the entire meal and soft enough to be drunk cold.

Fattoria del Colle has been producing rosé wines for over forty years but in 2024, for the first time, part of the grapes for this wine come from the Montalcino vineyards of Casato Prime Donne. A circumstance that gives greater structure to the Rosa di Tetto.

ROSA DI TETTO IGT TOSCANA

The choice to produce a more structured rosé stems from the international success of this type and the demand for rosés with greater personality and aging capacity. A change that coincided with a return to the origins, inspired by the “acquati” produced by Tuscan farmers since time immemorial. Those of a century ago were fragrant but poor-quality rosés obtained by stealing a part of the must at the beginning of fermentation or by refermenting the marc. They were therefore poor wines.

Today there is a precise desire to seek out wines of high quality and great elegance. The Rosa di Tetto 2024 belongs to this typology to which it combines great oenology with a touch of Tuscan tradition already evident in the onion skin colour. This characteristic derives from a prolonged contact between the skins and the must which transfers the typical notes of Sangiovese and a more intense colour to the wine.…

L'articolo ROSA DI TETTO 2024 IGT TOSCANA ROSATO BIOLOGICO-ORGANIC sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

James Magazine is an online magazine directed by journalist and wine critic Bruno Petronilli that draws inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s maxim “beauty will save the world”. A concept that is expressed in <<luxury of pleasure, including champagne and great wines, art, restaurants, travel, exclusive resorts, spirits, cigars. James Magazine, or rather passions, unstoppable and dazzling, that dominate the soul, the heart and the mind>>.

THE 2020 BRUNELLOS DISPLAYED BY JAMES MAGAZINE

On the occasion of Benvenuto Brunello, he tasted the 2020 vintage defined by the special panel organized by the Consortium as <<Enticing, brilliant, succulent>> adjectives to which James Magazine adds the words <<versatile and suited for aging>>.

Seeing my Brunello among the favourites for the 2020 harvest is a pleasure and a satisfaction. The three 2020 Brunellos on display are Vigna Montosoli by Canalicchio di Sopra, Donatella Cinelli Colombini and Podernovi di San Polo by Marilisa Allegrini. They are followed by 12 other labels, most of which are selections or single vineyards. My Brunello is instead the classic typology, the one we consider to be more vertical in style, elegant and capable of expressing terroir, vintage and vine variety.

THE 2020 BRUNELLO , SON OF A FAVOURABLE VINTAGE

From a climatic point of view, 2020 was marked by a frost in mid-March and a rainy spring followed by a torrid July and scarce rainfall until a storm at the end of August.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO 2020 CHOSEN BY JAMES MAGAZINE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

The backs of Tuscan farms were traditionally used for artisanal activities: the blacksmith, the oil mill, the laundry… Fattoria del Colle is no exception and on the ground floor, behind the sixteenth-century villa, it had the olive grove, the workshop and the wagon shed and the wash houses. It seems like a more modest part compared to the facades but it is not.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VIEWS IN COUNTRYSIDE TOURISM

The big difference is the view. In front of the villa, the park with tall trees blocks the view while behind it, the gaze extends to Montalcino, the Val d’Orcia and the Crete Senesi. A landscape shaped by the hand of man and that has remained almost intact for centuries. The rooms and tourist apartments located in the back of the Fattoria del Colle are therefore more panoramic than the others but they have a problem: they are exposed to the sun during the hottest hours of the day because there are no trees to provide shade. An element that until twenty years ago was an asset but with the scorching summers of global warming has become a problem

THE OLD-STYLE HOSPITALITY OF THE FARM BECOMES TECHNOLOGICAL WITH AN UPGRADE

In 2025, during the fire safety works, the apartments and rooms in the rear area of ​​the villa underwent a restyling aimed at increasing comfort and making the spaces more welcoming.…

L'articolo UPGRADE OF A CORNER OF FATTORIA DEL COLLE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

2019, 2020 and 2021 are three very different vintages but of great quality. They show how global warming favours the vineyards of southern Tuscany despite the excessive heat and cold, drought and monsoon storms that characterize the new climate.

In fact, 2021 had started badly with a spring frost that, fortunately, only grazed the Fattoria del Colle but caused a drastic drop in temperatures preventing the birth of new shoots. There were therefore about 20 days of distance between the first leaves born at the beginning of April and those at the end of the month. The frost and the three summer months without rain produced a drastic decline in the bunches and the size of the grapes that, at harvest, resembled Pinot Noir more than Sangiovese. A cool September that became cold at night, offered the ideal conditions for a slow and regular ripening of the grapes. The result is a wine that combines power, freshness and longevity.

CENERENTOLA’S HOUSE AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE

The grapes for the Cenerentola wine come from the organic vineyards at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, in southern Tuscany. 404 meters above sea level with a soil mainly composed of marine sands of Pliocene origin. The wine is a blend of two native vines, Sangiovese (65%), king of the Tuscan vineyard and Foglia Tonda (35%), an ancient variety, from the same region, that was abandoned until Donatella Cinelli Colombini fell in love with it.…

L'articolo CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC 2021 BIO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The partnership between Donatella Cinelli Colombini with the OMIF company from Siena and the interior designer Lorella Salvi is now approaching twenty years. It began in the Toscana Lovers store in Siena and continued in Bagno Vignoni and Cortona with the furnishing of the other two shops of the best Tuscan craftsmanship for the home. Commercial activities coordinated by Cecilia Sacchi who also orchestrated the renovation of the cellar stores.

LORELLA SALVI THE INTERIOR DESIGNER OF DONATELLA’S STORES

Two years ago, Lorella designed the shop at Casato Prime Donne winery in Montalcino in natural wood with an austere style suitable for Brunello and also inspired by the libraries of aristocratic residences. This year she designed the commercial area of ​​the Fattoria del Colle winery in Trequanda using a cream colour that recalls the pantries of Tuscan castles and villas. The commercial area is in the innermost part of a very large room located in the basement of the sixteenth-century villa.

It incorporates the external walls of a medieval tower and the entrance to the underground cave where, according to ancient chronicles, Sant ‘Egidio di Querciola and San Bernardino da Siena retreated to pray. Here, protected from light, temperature changes and thieves, Donatella Cinelli Colombini keeps her antique bottles of Brunello.

The room where the sales point is located is also used to let tourists taste the wine in groups and can accommodate up to 55 people, i.e.…

L'articolo NEW WINE SHOP AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination

SANCHIMENTO 2024 A SUPERTUSCAN FROM ORGANIC AND TOURISTIC VINEYARDS

Sanchimento is obtained from organic grapes from the small vineyard around the chapel of the Fattoria del Colle dedicated to San Clemente or Chimento as the saint himself was called in medieval times. The wine therefore takes its name from the small sixteenth-century church. Both the chapel and the adjacent vineyard are open to tourists, in fact the vineyard of Traminer grapes used for the Sanchimento wine is the starting point for a trail in the vineyards that leads visitors to discover all the grape varieties grown at the Fattoria del Colle through the use of signs and QR codes.

THE PARTICULAR VINIFICATION FOR SANCHIMENTO

The cellar workers led by the oenologist Barbara Magnani have developed a very particular process for the Sanchimento IGT Toscana white. An unprecedented method that manages to enhance the characteristics of the grape variety, increase the complexity of the wine and its distinctive characteristics.

In the cellar, the Traminer grapes are cooled and divided. Most have a classic vinification process while about a quarter is vinified with the orange system (with the skins and without the addition of yeasts) in terracotta amphorae where the wine remains until bottling. This year, in addition to the two Impruneta jars, a clayver sphere was also used.…

L'articolo SANCHIMENTO IGT TOSCANA WHITE 2024 BIO-ORGANIC sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Eric Guido is a young wine critic of enormous talent. For Vinous he tastes Italian wines, those from the Pacific coast, Paso Robles and Slovenia. He loves wine but also cuisine – especially Italian – and works in creative writing, copywriting, photography, digital editing. All at the highest levels

In January 2025 he tasted 4 wines from Fattoria del Colle and then published the opinions on Antonio Galloni Vinous’ portal. Two critics who don’t favour anyone and have built their reputation on integrity. This is why their opinions are important. Obviously, they serve the market by guiding purchases but above all they serve producers like me who want to understand if their stylistic choices are going in the right direction. And my choice is territoriality

VINOUS GIVES 90 POINTS TO DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S 2022 CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG

<<A vibrant mix of crushed cherries, mint and hints of pine shavings wafts from the 2022 Chianti Superiore. This is a juicy effort, with a core of crisp acidity that drives a nice balance of crisp mineral tones and berry fruit>>. The fragrant vinosity of this Chianti Superiore comes from the almost pure Sangiovese and the steel storage that leaves the grape’s characters intact.

VINOUS GIVES 94 POINTS  TO CENERENTOLA DOC ORCIA 2019 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

<<The 2019 Orcia Cenerentola is intense: it gradually unfurls with a smoky mix of crushed rocks, dried flowers and blackcurrant, complicated by an exotic spiciness that I find wildly attractive.…

L'articolo VINOUS GIVES 90, 94, 91, AND 90 TO CHIANTI, ORCIA AND VINSANTO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Alessia Bianchi, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

Visual analysis of extra virgin olive oil is considered of little relevance, which is why professional tasting glasses are deliberately coloured to mask visual characteristics that could influence the taster’s judgment. The shades of oil can range from yellow to intense green, but are linked to the variety of olive or the degree of ripeness. On the other hand the olfactory analysis is of considerable importance for the final judgement. The aroma perceived by inhaling, after having warmed the glass between the palms of the hands to bring it to the optimal temperature of 28°C, immediately reveals whether the aromas are pleasant or whether there are unpleasant sensations linked to defects.

A quality extra virgin olive oil must have a fresh and vegetal aroma, which can recall hints of artichoke, almond or tomato. The intense aroma is a distinctive characteristic of high quality oils and represents one of the main differences between a common extra virgin olive oil and an excellent product.

HOW TO TASTE OLIVE OIL

The taste analysis will allow you to describe the tactile stimuli such as fluidity, consistency and oiliness, and the gustatory ones (sweet, bitter, spicy)

There are three positive attributes

• Fruity – It can be light, medium or intense, depending on the intensity of the perceived olive aroma.

…

L'articolo EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: TASTING AND STORAGE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, Fattoria del Colle, Casato Prime Donne

The simplicity of certain preparations brings with it the flavour of old Tuscan farms, of the ancient wisdom of gestures. Perhaps it is precisely the authenticity of what has not changed over the centuries that gives us back the experience of the past. For this reason, I invite you to prepare anchovies with parsley pesto as Nunziatina did, that is, Annunziata Ferretti, matriarch of her family and head housewife in the kitchen of my Colombini grandparents’ house in Montalcino.

FROM CLASSIC PESTO TO PESTO WITH AGLIONE

There are four recommendations: the extra virgin olive oil must be the one pressed a few months ago using organic olives picked early by hand. Just like the one made in Fattoria del Colle.

The unsalted bread, that is, without salt, typically Tuscan, must be made with sourdough and not with chemicals.

It is better if the parsley comes from the garden and is freshly cut. It is better if instead of garlic you use the aglione from Val d’Orcia. The latter is a transgression compared to the domestic tradition of Montalcino but Nunziatina used little garlic and those who love this bulbous plant must opt ​​for the aglione, the kiss-proof garlic, which is much more digestible (but more expensive).…

L'articolo ANCHOVIES WITH PARSLEY AND AGLIONE PESTO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

For Donatella Cinelli Colombini, the 2023 harvest was <<the most difficult harvest of my life, with my husband Carlo in hospital in Malta and my daughter Violante who directed the harvest alone flying back and forth from Valletta>>.

Added to this were the rainfalls in spring and summer, the attacks of downy mildew and 3 small hailstorms.

In the end, few grapes arrived in the cellar, half the amount of the previous year, but of excellent quality. The Sangiovese grapes showed perfect analytical values. A new selector with optical reader completed the grape selection work by choosing only the best, berry by berry, with the utmost attention.

THE 2023 VINTAGE

After a very dry 2022, a very rainy 2023 arrived. It rained in winter and especially in spring with a June like a universal deluge. Even in summer, very hot days alternated with thunderstorms. The grapes changed colour at the end of August and then the ripening had a slow and regular character. An old-fashioned climate that gives rise to very classic wines.

CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO

Casato Prime Donne is all organically grown. It is located on the northern side of Montalcino on the slopes of the Montosoli hill. The vineyards surround the old farmhouse that gives its name to the property and belonged to Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors at least since the end of the sixteenth century.…

L'articolo Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2023 BIO-Organic sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Dear friends, we have prepared an unmissable opportunity for you! Three vintages of Il Drago e le 8 Colombe, all 5 stars: 2012, 2015, and 2020.

This is a special opportunity to compare three harvests of the Super Tuscan il Drago e le 8 Colombe produced at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda. This wine brings you the aromas of ripe red fruits and the powerful and harmonious flavour typical of a high hill territory where the air is clean and the ripening of the grapes is slow.

OFFER OF THE MONTH: THREE VINTAGES WITH FIVE STARS

The classification of Italian wine vintages ranges from the maximum excellence of five stars, awarded exclusively to the best vintages, to a minimum of one star for the worst vintages. By consulting the vintages you can choose which ones to buy for a wine to cellar or to drink immediately.

🎁 together with the bottles you will find a small gift: a personalized wine saver pump from the Donatella Cinelli Colombini winery. Ideal for decorating your cellar or your kitchen but also as a gift..

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Members of Donatella’s Club

2 bottles 0.75L Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT 2012

2 bottles 0.75L Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT 2015

2 bottles 0.75L Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT 2020 BIO

1 customized wine- saver pump from  Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winery

🎯 Special price: €159.00 (instead of €191.00)

🚚 €10 discount on shipping

💡 Want to double?…

L'articolo TOP offer with the Supertuscan Il Drago e le 8 Colombe sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

For centuries, extra virgin olive oil has been stored in terracotta jars, an old method that today risks being lost due to the difficulty of adapting the jars to health standards and preserving the oil from oxidation. Donatella Cinelli Colombini has decided to bring this tradition back to life with an ambitious and complex restoration, giving new life to the olive oil culture of Trequanda.

INSPIRATION: VILLA LE CORTI AND L’ORCIAIA IN IMPRUNETA

Three years ago, a visit to Duccio Corsini’s Villa Le Corti lit the spark of this adventure. In that historic estate, the oil is still stored for a few weeks in enormous terracotta jars from Impruneta, a traditional Tuscan material. Prince Corsini revealed to Donatella that his oil sells quickly and at very high prices, making her see an extraordinary opportunity.

THE SEARCH FOR JARS AND THE CREATION OF THE NEW ORCIAIA

At the Fattoria del Colle, Donatella started counting the ancient jars, mostly used as decorative elements, finding 24 of them. But where to make the orciaia room? The solution came unexpectedly: a television report on bank robbers and the saws with which they cut reinforced concrete gave the right idea. With the help of her technician, Fabio Ligioni, Donatella found a company capable of using the same tool to open a door in two old reinforced concrete wine vats placed side by side, made by her great-grandfather and unused for years.…

L'articolo NEW OIL IN ANTIQUE TERRACOTTA JARS IN THE ORCIAIA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Fattoria del Colle is a very small hamlet built at the end of the sixteenth century on a hill overlooking the Val d’Orcia and the Crete Senesi. It is waiting for Easter for lovers of Brunello, traditional Tuscan cuisine, old local traditions, views and nature.

A UNIQUE PLACE WITH A LONG HISTORY AND ENCHANTING VIEWS

A setting of ORGANIC vineyards and olive groves, beyond which there is a landscape of wonderful harmony dotted with cities of art and abbeys. Places of great spirituality such as Monte Oliveto Maggiore just 11 km away.

For the Easter weekend, Fattoria del Colle offers an intense program of three visits with experiences and tastings,

gourmand lunches, brief cooking lessons, two toasts and of course itineraries in the woods, relaxing stops to enjoy the wonderful landscape in the silence of nature.

For great wine lovers there is an extraordinary tasting of three 5-star vintages of Brunello 2013, 2015 and 2019 in the section Prime Donne and Riserva versions.

The tastings continue at the table with creative and highly traditional recipes combined with Brunello, Chianti Superiore Supertuscan and Doc Orcia wines. The Fattoria del Colle restaurant is a romantic, refined but informal place to make everyone feel welcomed and pampered.

SPECIAL PROPOSALS WITH WELLNESS AND BRUNELLO TASTING

Those who want to regenerate their skin, as well as their palate and mind, can have personalized massages and vinotherapy, even as a couple, in the natural wellness area.…

L'articolo EASTER 2025 IN TUSCANY IN TUSCANY IN FULL SPRING sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The recent changes to the Highway Code, wanted by Minister Matteo Salvini, have shaken the world of Italian wine. Restaurants, wine bars and tasting places, such as tourist wineries, are studying solutions to counteract the probable future decline in consumption and therefore in turnover.

THE LACK OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE COMPLICATES THE JOURNEY OF THOSE WHO WANT TO TASTE

In the countryside, where great wines are born, there is a lack of taxis or public transport services capable of taking tourists to and from wineries without driving. For this reason, the director of the magazine “I Grandi Vini” asked Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini, newly elected president of the Movimento Turismo del Vino, how she recommends tackling the problem for the 700 member wineries.

Here I report some parts of the interview, suggesting you read it in its entirety in “I Grandi Vini” directed by GIOVANNI PELLICCI

QUESTION FROM GIOVANNI PELLICCI DIRECTOR OF I GRANDI VINI

I GRANDI VINI: What are the measures of the new highway code that are of most concern to wineries?

VIOLANTE: The limits of alcohol consumption have not changed, but in the new rules of the Highway Code, the sanctions following a positive alcohol test have been increased. This scares the wineries that are members of the Movimento Turismo del Vino.…

L'articolo VIOLANTE TELLA US ABOUT WINE TOURISM AND ALCOHOL TESTING sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination #fattoriadelcolle #casatoprimedonne

The Stazione Leopolda on the occasion of Eccellenza di Toscana (8 and 9 March) was the setting for an all-female tasting and then at the Columbus Urban Hotel for the presentation of Barbara Amoroso‘s book which was also attended by Governor Eugenio Giani.

DOCG WINES OF TUSCANY WITH AIS TOSCANA

The first event is the tasting entitled “DOCG wines of Tuscany with women” which took place within the 23rd edition of “Eccellenza di Toscana”. This is a major event organized by the Italian Sommelier Association of Tuscany in the scenic Stazione Leopolda in Florence on March 8 and 9.

<<To celebrate the feminine side of the sommelerie, the tasting was be led by Ilaria Lorini, Best Tuscan Sommelier AIS 2024, and Lucrezia Caverni Donna del Vino, sommelier and AIS taster>> specified the AIS regional President Cristiano Cini, presenting the initiative that lined up 8 of the 11 Tuscan DOCGs with labels signed by women. <<The 120 Tuscan Women in Wine represent, on this beautiful occasion, all the Italian wineries led by women, which are 28% of the total>> said the Tuscan Delegate Donatella Cinelli Colombini, proud of the amazing bottles of her members.

Many other initiatives are to be organized by the Tuscan delegation of the Associazione Donne del Vino, (Women in Wine) one of the largest and most active regional associations, with 120 members including producers, restaurateurs, wine shop owners, sommeliers, journalists but also many new wine professions such as lawyers, graphic designers, real estate agents, architects, and wine hospitality workers.…

L'articolo AT ECCELLENZA DI TOSCANA WOMEN AND WINE ARE CELEBRATED sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Dear wine lovers, we have prepared an unmissable opportunity for you! Brunello Prime Donne 2020, an extraordinary wine resulting from a meticulous selection by four internationally renowned female experts, is available in a special proposal in two formats.

This is the first vintage in which Brunello Prime Donne is produced exclusively with grapes from the “Prime Donne” vineyard at Casato Prime Donne, with a limited production of only 5,000 bottles. A Brunello that embodies elegance, finesse and longevity, created to satisfy the palate of the most demanding female consumers, but capable of conquering everyone.

OFFER OF THE MONTH: TWO FORMATS FOR EVERY OCCASION

– The 0.75L bottle, perfect for an intimate dinner or a tasting among a few connoisseurs.

– The magnum (1.5L), ideal for special occasions and for those who love to see the wine evolve over time in a sublime way.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

– 4 bottles (0.75L) of Brunello Prime Donne 2020 BIO

– 1 Magnum (1.5L) of Brunello Prime Donne 2020 BIO

– 1 personalized wooden lid from the Donatella Cinelli Colombini winery

Exclusive price: €292.00 instead of €338.00

€10 discount on shipping

For those who want to double their wine purchase

€575.00 (instead of €679.00) always with a €10 discount on shipping

OFFER FOR ALL WINE LOVERS

– 4 bottles (0.75L) of Brunello Prime Donne 2020 BIO

– 1 Magnum (1.5L) of Brunello Prime Donne 2020 BIO

– 1 personalized wooden lid from the Donatella Cinelli Colombini winery

Price: €316.00 instead of €338.00

€10 discount on shipping

For those who want to double their wine purchase:

€606.00 (instead of €679.00) always with a €10 discount on shipping

📌 Offer valid through March 21st 2025!…

L'articolo AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR TRUE ENTHUSIASTS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, #brunellodimontalcino

In truth, there is something strange in the two wine blog rankings: Intravino is in 14th place in the world list but does not appear in the Italian one even though he is a compatriot. Odd!!!

BEST ITALIAN WINE BLOGS

FeedSpot is a huge archive where you can find blogs, videos, podcasts on any topic and choose the ones to follow based on their style and content. Once a year it brings together the best and Wine News is always in a leading position. The best Italian wine blogs are chosen from thousands of digital media outlets, based on relevance, authority, social media followers and freshness.

First, therefore, WineNews led by Irene Chiari and Alessandro Regoli from their headquarters in Montalcino. A global broadcaster speaking from a small town that has become famous for being the home of Brunello wine. WineNews is described by FeedSpot << The reference point for information on the world of wine: interviews, videos, reviews, insights and always the latest news. Winenews is a communication agency>>. Followed by Vinoway and WineBlogRoll by Francesco Saverio Russo. Only 6th position for the Italian version of Wine Spectator.

BEST WINE BLOGS IN THE WORLD

In the world ranking of the best wine blogs, however, the powerful American magazine is in first place.…

L'articolo WINENEWS IS THE N. 1 WINE BLOG IN ITALY AND THE N. 23 IN THE WORLD sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, #docorcia

Three-time cooked vegetables are typical of Tuscan cuisine. In summer, celery or cardoons are boiled, fried and cooked with tomato sauce. In winter the same preparation is made with cauliflower. From my experience there is more tomato in the Val d’Orcia version and much less in the Val di Chiana one but the recipes are still delicious. They are a side dish to pair with chicken Cacciatore or freshly made buffalo mozzarella.

Very easy to perform but a bit lengthy

INGREDIENTS FOR TUSCAN STEWED CAULIFLOWER

A cauliflower, a glass of extra virgin olive oil, a handful of flour, half a kilo of rather spicy tomato sauce, salt

PREPARATION

Wash the cauliflower, cut it into large pieces and blanch them in boiling water. Drain it and let it cool. Flour it and put it into a pan in which the oil is frying.

When it is browned on all sides, remove it from the frying pan and place it in the pan with the hot tomato sauce. Let

it flavour for about ten minutes and then serve it piping hot.…

L'articolo TUSCAN STEWED CAULIFLOWER sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Everyone remembers  Covid masks and tests always at hand. In reality we should remember it as one of the luckiest harvests because the damage from the spring frost (18-23 March) was less than elsewhere and because the autumn rainfalls circled around the vineyards until the end of the harvest.Lucky but scarce, the 2020 vintage certainly deserves 5 stars, the maximum rating.Donatella Cinelli Colombini has been cultivating her vineyards organically for years and has been following a project called “Vineyard first” for years. It consists in a large investment in labour and equipment so that the grapes arrive in the cellar in perfect conditions on the first day of full maturation. A lot of work and a lot of attention which, in years like 2020, are helped by nature and the climate.

The 2020 grapes were healthy, with small berries, well-lignified seeds and the Sangiovese had the typical crunchiness of great vintages. Analytical data even better than 2019 with an excellent content of noble substances in the skins (extractable polyphenols) and a nice acid content

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE, A WINE DEDICATED TO MEN IN THE WOMEN’S CELLAR

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wineries – Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda – are the first in Italy with an entirely female staff.…

L'articolo IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE IGT TOSCANA 2020 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, #brunellodimontalcino

The word “pulezze” in the Val di Chiana dialect indicates “turnip tops”, i.e. the tender turnip leaves. In the “Chianina” language it is also used in some ways of saying, for example they indicate a person with little energy with “has he eaten pulezze?”.

The word salciccia is also a popular term in the Sienese vernacular while the correct Italian one is salsiccia from the

Latin “salsicia”.

Generally, the turnip leaves are better after they have “felt the cold” i.e. after the freezing nights of January.

The combination of turnips with pork is perfect because the strong flavour of the leaves balances the fat of the sausages and enhances their flavour. Like any peasant recipe, the quality of the ingredients is fundamental and above all the sausage must be very tasty as is usual in Tuscany.

It is well known that the bread from my region is “bland”, that is, without salt and this balances the flavour intensity of the dish. However, those who use salted bread must reduce the salt in cooking.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

8 sausages, half a kilo of turnip leaves, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Wash and boil the “pulezze”, (the turnip leaves). Drain them and squeeze them.…

L'articolo SALCICCE CON LE PULEZZE-SAUSAGES FOTH TURNIP LEAVES sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Among the novelties for 2025 is the “driver discount” of €10 for those who have to get behind the wheel after the experience in the cellar and can therefore taste only one wine.

THE FIRST ITALIAN WINERY WITH AN ALL-FEMALE TEAM

Casato Prime Donne is the first winery in Italy to boast a staff made up exclusively of women, from the oenologist to the cellar workers, from the sales staff to the tourist reception staff. This pioneering choice underlines the commitment to female empowerment in the wine sector, giving our wines a unique touch of sensitivity and dedication

A TRAIL AMONG ART, HISTORY AND WINE

The cellar offers an immersive experience that goes beyond simple tasting. The paintings and videos seen inside tell the story and traditions of Montalcino, while the contemporary art installations in the organic vineyards create a perfect union between culture and nature. Visitors can explore a trekking route enriched by works of art and read the dedications of illustrious women surrounded by the breathtaking landscape of the Val d’Orcia.

At Casato Prime Donne there are five unique experiences available that celebrate the culture, wine and beauty of the Tuscan territory. Here is an overview of the proposals for 2025.

BRUNELLO AND FARM EVO OIL

The novelty for 2025 is an experience specifically designed for those who love all the excellencies of the Tuscan land.…

L'articolo CASATO PRIME DONNE: AN UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE IN MONTALCINO sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

The main innovation this year is the introduction of the “Driver discount” which provides a €10 discount for those who can taste just one wine. It is Fattoria del Colle’s contribution to safe driving and a kind way to alleviate the sacrifice of those who will then have to drive. A necessary adjustment after the introduction of the new highway code and the tightening of controls.

DRIVER DISCOUNT FOR SAFE WINE TOURISM

For 2025 the new experience is called “New Oil in Ancient Jars, Brunello and Vino Orcia Cenerentola” and enhances the recently inaugurated orciaia in the basement of the Fattoria del Colle villa. After a very careful restoration and the use of some innovative elements, Donatella Cinelli Colombini is, for the first time, putting extra virgin olive oil back into traditional Tuscan ceramic containers. A mix of tradition and innovation that increases the charm of the wonderful extra virgin olive oil from these lands.

THE NEW 2025 EXPERIENCE IS CALLED “NEW OIL IN OLD JARS AND GREAT TUSCAN WINES”

The “New Oil in Ancient Jars, Brunello and Vino Orcia Cenerentola” experience is a tribute to Tuscan traditions and sustainability. This tour begins with a walk among vineyards and olive groves, where visitors will discover the stories and specificities of the native Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda vines, and the Correggiolo, Moraiolo and Olivastra olive trees.…

L'articolo FATTORIA DEL COLLE 2025 WINERY TOURS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

This is an opportunity for those who love the small ORGANIC productions of Fattoria del Colle. It is truly an unmissable opportunity for lovers of good wine!

In the Chianti Superiore 2022 the superior typology indicates Chianti with superior quality characteristics and aging

capacity. It is produced at Fattoria del Colle from vineyards with greater vocation and lower production.

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2020 preview is a “super Tuscan” that is, an IGT Toscana wine that does not belong to any denomination but was born following the creativity of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winemakers. It is a blend of wines from three different varieties, grown at Fattoria del Colle, and is dedicated to the male component of her family which yesterday consisted of her husband Carlo Gardini and today is represented by her grandson Lorenzo.

As a gift, you will receive a customized professional corkscrew and a booklet, “Brief handbook for great wine lovers”, with historical notes on the vine and wine, the cultivation and pruning of the vine, and the principles of tasting. A small booklet that will help you better understand the effort and commitment of those who work on the farm.

OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S  CLUB

• 3 bottles of Chianti Superiore 2022 BIO
• 3 bottles Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2020 BIO preview
• 1 customized professional corkscrew from Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winery
• 1 booklet “Brief Handbook for great wine lovers”

PRICE

123.00 Euros (instead of 148.00 Euros)

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the purchase of wines the price is even more convenient

Euro 219.00 (instead of Euro 291.00)

Always with a 10 Euro discount on shipping

OFFER FOR ALL OTHER WINE LOVERS

• 3 bottles of Chianti Superiore 2022 BIO
• 3 bottles Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2020 BIO preview
• 1 customized professional corkscrew from Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winery
• 1 booklet “Brief Handbook for great wine lovers”

PRICE

139.00 Euros (instead of 148.00 Euros)

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the purchase of wines, the price is even more convenient

Euro 254.00 (instead of Euro 291.00)

Hurry: the offer is valid until February 14th!…

L'articolo New offer: 2 TOP family wines-with a preview sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, #brunellodimontalcino

Vinous is a wine review portal created by Antonio Galloni starting from “Piedmont Report” (2004). It is young but is establishing itself as one of the most authoritative repertoires of wine reviews

VINOUS THE WINE REVIEW PORTAL CREATED BY ANTONIO GALLONI

He has 12 collaborators including two Masters of Wine and Stephen Tanzer who has brought together his International Wine Cellar in the same portal. Eric Guido is entrusted with tasting wines from most of Italy, including Montalcino. Eric previously led wine and retail marketing for Morrell Wine Group and is also an expert in food and music.

After reading his comments we wrote to him saying  <<We are not surprised that you like the “Prime Donne” and the Brunello Riserva more which are more structured, but I hope you have seen the new search for purity and territoriality that characterizes all our wines. It’s a project we called “Vineyard First” and has been going on for five years. The most important change concerns the time of harvest. We harvest each parcel of vineyard on the exact day it reaches complete maturation. The result is that when we finish the harvest all the other Montalcino wineries are just beginning>>

In fact, the Vineyard First project has allowed us to produce wines that consumers like because they are pure; they communicate the grape variety, terroir and climate.…

L'articolo ERIC GUIDO FROM VINOUS AND THE NEW BRUNELLO 2020 AND RISERVA 2019 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Michael Godel is among the foreign wine critics who know Montalcino best. He often participates in Benvenuto Brunello and the Tuscan wine previews and has visited hundreds of wineries in this area. He loves Sangiovese but also greatly appreciates the Foglia Tonda variety for its acidic richness which makes the wines long-lived and fresh.

Our importer in Ontario, Bernard Stramwasser Les Sommelier sent us 11 sheets and 11 scores from Michael Godel on Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino, Leone Rosso Doc Orcia and 6 vintages of Cenerentola (based on Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda) from 2021 to 2001. They are published on Wine Align, the portal of the major Canadian wine experts.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2020 SCORE 93/100

Godel appreciated this wine and the respectful way in which it was vinified and matured, allowing the vintage to express itself without intervening in the cellar. The result is a good richness of extracts and a natural balance.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRIME DONNE 2020 SCORE 94/100

Brunello Prime Donne is selected during a blind tasting by a panel of 4 tasters, sommelier Daniela Scrobogna, wine expert Astrid Schwarz and two MWs: Madeleine Stenwreth and Rosemary George. The wine has more tannins than the other Brunello due to the French wood in which it matured. In Godel’s opinion it is a classic Brunello with good aging potential.…

L'articolo MICHAEL GODEL FROM CANADA SENDS US 11 EXCELLENT SCORES sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini has known Monica Larner for many years, they have different ideas but they respect each other and above all they are fond of each other. This is why Donatella cried reading what Monica wrote about her husband Carlo in Wine Advocate –Robert Parker. She felt understood and embraced with affection. << I don’t remember having met Donatella without the super supportive Carlo right there at her side. They were a strong couple who were on an equal footing>>.

This is perhaps the most important thing for a producer: feeling understood in his or her deepest life choices.

Just as Monica Larner’s appreciation for choices such as the “late-vintage release” Brunello 2018 is important, a late

release that is becoming more and more frequent in the wineries in Montalcino as well as in Barolo and Barbaresco to test the aging ability of their wine.

95 WINE ADVOCATE – ROBERT PARKER POINTS FOR BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG RISERVA 2019

The style of this wine is closer to Monica’s taste << rich and powerful with a little extra concentration and oomph to keep you warm on a cold winter night…. The tannins are velvety and the wine remains sufficiently structured throughout>>

94 POINTS FOR BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG PRIME DONNE PROJECT 2020

From Larner’s words, the extreme attention in evaluating every aspect of the wine is very clear, the small series, the origin of the organic grapes from a single vineyard and then the differences with the other Brunello 2020 by Donatella Cinelli Colombini <<it has a slightly darker character with more savoury tones than the already tasted classic Brunello of the same vintage….…

L'articolo 95,94, 94,93 STELLAR RATINGS BY WINE ADVOCATE FOR DCC’S BRUNELLOS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

There are vintages that seem born to produce wines capable of defying time and 2019 is one of them.

These are the harvests in which the grapes arrive in the cellar so perfect that they don’t need anything, just attention and patience.

Brunello 2019 is celebrated by critics and consumers as one of the best vintages of the last 20 years and in the Riserva version it finds its most enthusing expression for the silky harmony that hides a powerful structure.

Contrary to what usually happens in the best harvests, 2019 was abundant. A circumstance that also occurred in the legendary 2010 vintage and reveals how global warming has changed the internal balance of plants. In both of these vintages the vines were still in vegetation at the time of the harvest. This is also a rare but very favourable feature.

BRUNELLO 2019 RISERVA IN THE VINEYARDS AND IN THE CELLAR

Mild and arid winter, very rainy spring which delayed budding and then disturbed flowering, resulting in the open

and small nature of the bunches. The summer was hot but not very hot and interrupted by some storms. Disturbances that continued into September when the nights became very cold.

The 2019 Sangiovese had small grapes with particularly thick skins that made it resemble Cabernet. For this reason, the must immediately took on a very rich colour and aroma.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO RISERVA 2019 ORGANIC CASATO PRIME DONNE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

An unrepeatable opportunity for true connoisseurs. We are pleased to present a preview of two new extraordinary vintages. These two wines will be released on the market on January 1st so whoever makes the most of this offer will be among the first in the world to taste it and offer it to friends. An exclusive privilege for members of our Club.

This offer is for those who want to start the new year with the right wines to celebrate any special occasion!

As gifts, you will receive a vacuum pump to remove the air from the bottles and a wine skin to carry your favorite

wine wherever you go.

The 2019 harvest is to be considered one of the best Montalcino harvests with perfect grapes for the production of a great aging Brunello. The 2020 vintage, however, is reminiscent of the splendid 2015. They are two vintages that are part of the “Vineyard first” project where we make every effort to pick the grapes as soon as they are ready and we develop a system to choose the harvest day based on the tasting of the grapes and on the day in which the quantity of total polyphenols begins to decrease.

OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

• 3 bottles of Brunello 2020 in preview
• 3 bottles of Brunello Riserva 2019 in preview
• 1 wine saving pump
• 1 Wine Skin to transport your wine in style

PRICE

324,00 Euro (instead of 394,00Euro)

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the purchase of wines and gadgets the price is even more convenient

Euro 624,00 (instead of Euro 788,00)

Always with a 10 Euro discount on shipping

OFFER FOR ALL OTHER WINE LOVERS

• 3 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino 2020 in preview
• 3 bottles of Brunello Riserva 2019 in preview
• 1 wine saving pump
• 1 Wine Skin to transport your wine in style

PRICE

Euro 359,00 (instead of 394,00 Euro)

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the purchase of wines and of gadgets the price it is even more convenient

Euros 695,00 (instead of Euro 788,00 )

VERY FIRST SCORES FOR THESE PREVIEW TOP WINES BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

Brunello 2020

Wine Advocate- Robert Parker 93/100

James Suckling 93/100

Vinous 91/100

Brunello Riserva 2019

Wine Advocate- Robert Parker 95/100

Vinous 94/100

THESE TWO PREVIEW WINES AT THE TABLE

Each sip tells a story of tradition, excellence and wine passion.…

L'articolo Exclusive Preview: Brunello 2020 and Riserva 2019! sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination

I have known Doctor Wine-Daniele Cernilli for almost forty years, when he was a young philosophy professor with a passion for tasting wine and the mission of raising the quality of Italian wineries by forcing them to compare themselves with each other and with the rest of the world.

We respect each other and are fond of each other. I cannot forget his words of comfort after the death of my husband Carlo.However, our sensitivities for wine diverge: Cernilli prefers leading wine makers like Carlo Ferrini, I believe in nature as the absolute protagonist. A distinction that leads to different outcomes especially in style. In fact, those who, like me, pick the grapes before over- ripeness softens the skin, produce more elegant but less powerful wines than those who wait. But I am convinced that this choice maintains a greater imprint of the terroir and the vintage in the wine.  I intend to continue along this path: less power and more territoriality because the wine must tell and surprise and not always be the same.

I am grateful to Daniele Cernilli for having included my winery in the Essential Guide of Italian Wines 2025, also assigning it a star. It’s a joy and an honour.

THE DESCRIPTION OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRIME DONNE 2019 BY DOCTOR WINE

Daniele Cernilli’s description of the Brunello Prime Donne 2019 highlights the freshness and longevity of this wine as well as its splendid persistence.…

L'articolo DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI AND DOCTOR WINE DANIELE CERNILLI sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination

My friend Angelo Gaja says that the foliage in the Tuscan vineyards has only one colour and is therefore less beautiful than that of the wine districts where there are many grape varieties and therefore many shades.

But that’s not true!

The human mind needs simple and harmonious images to feel good. Certain territories such as Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO heritage site since 2004 due to the beauty of its agricultural landscape, offer this type of scenery. Almost a balm for the soul.

The leaves of the vines begin to yellow immediately after the harvest and fall at the end of December. A short period in which the Tuscany of wine, where Sangiovese is the undisputed sovereign, is covered by a golden yellow brocade. The landscape of Brunello, Chianti Classico or Vino Nobile has remained intact for centuries. There are some large factories, a remnant of the industrialization dream of the mid-twentieth century, but they are very few, not like in Piedmont.

The landscape has an austere harmony made of history, nature and love of mankind. Woods, ploughed land for sowing, Sangiovese vineyards that become a golden cloak. Come and see it for yourself!

COME WALK AND RELAX IN FRONT OF THE FOLIAGE OF THE SANGIOVESE VINEYARDS

It is the most beautiful moment of the Tuscan countryside but the foliage does not last long.…

L'articolo FOLIAGE IN THE VINEYARDS AND LANDSCAPE THERAPY sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

For you three 0.750 bottles of organic Evo Oil 2024, and one 0.500 bottle each of Organic  Evo oil 2024 Correggiolo, Moraiolo and blend

TREQUANDA WHERE ONE OF THE BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS IN THE WORLD IS BORN

Fattoria del Colle is located in Trequanda, in one of the best areas of Tuscany and the world for the production of extra virgin olive oil thanks to its sandy soils, its position far from the sea and the altitude of over 400 meters which protect it from the olive fly.

The estate has 6 hectares of organic olive groves and sells exclusively the oil from its olive trees.

The olives are harvested by hand between October and November and pressed at Oliviera Sant’Angelo, 10 km from Fattoria del Colle.

OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

3 bottles 0.75lt of new organic extra virgin olive oil blend 2024

1 bottle 0.50 litres of organic Correggiolo oil 2024

1 bottle 0.50 Liters of organic Moraiolo oil 2024

1 bottle 0.50 litres of organic extra virgin olive oil blend 2024

1 Fattoria del Colle recipe book

DURATION OF THE OFFER

The offer ends on December 20, 2024

PRICE

Euro 134.00 instead of 161.00.

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the order of bottles of oil the price is even more convenient

Euro 258.00 instead of 332.00.…

L'articolo OFFER: 6 BOTTLES OF ORGANIC EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Vinum is the most important wine magazine in German. This magazine often dedicates monographic issues to a region with profiles of characters and tastings. In this case the protagonist of the magazine is Tuscany. Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini newly elected President of the Movimento Turismo del Vino –  Wine Tourism Movement is among the profiles described at the beginning while our Brunello Riserva 2018 is among the 10 TOP wines of this type.

VINUM AND CHRISTIAN EDER

As always, the scores are not very high, German culture is always sparing in its judgments and does not reach 1000/100 with the same enthusiasm as American critics. For Germans, perfection is a philosophical concept that almost requires something close to a miracle.

For this reason, the TOP 10 of Brunello Riserva 2018 are between 96 and 94 out of 100, that is, closely positioned. Overall, the best Brunello Riservas proposed by Vinum are 25 and three of them come from the area where Casato Prime Donne is located. A circumstance that demonstrates the growth in the qualitative potential of this corner of Montalcino which, twenty years ago, was too cool and now manages to express itself at a high level even in rainy years like 2018.

VINUM’S DESCRIPTIVE SHEET OF VINUM FOR THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2018

The descriptive sheet of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Brunello Riserva is a palette of emotions, aromas and flavours.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO RISERVA 2018 IN THE TOP 10 BY VINUM sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

TASTING OF 16 NATIVE TUSCAN WHITE WINES AND A LABORATORY OF IDEAS FOR CHOOSING THE VARIETIES TO PLANT. ROBERTO BELLINI NEXT TO DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S STAFF

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is in serious difficulty choosing the white grape variety to plant and proceeds by trial and error. Like many Tuscan producers, she wants to have vineyards able to produce high-profile white wines capable of establishing themselves on the market. Everyone is aware that, in our region, there are areas suited to the production of great white wines which must be identified and characterized with the use of the most suitable grape variety.

TUSCAN PRODUCERS IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT WHITE

But everyone goes on their own.

And in this way, it will take decades to understand the right path.

There is no connection between the ongoing experiments that allows us to identify excellence, above all there is no study on the different types of Tuscan Trebbiano or other native white grape varieties that identifies those with greater potential.

One wonders why the two Universities of Agriculture and Oenology in Tuscany have not begun. This would speed up the identification of the best clones and the best areas, perhaps with a view to the creation of a new denomination.

While Tuscany is still stuck on white wines, the other major wine regions have already moved forward. Piedmont has relaunched itself with Alta Langa and Derthona, Lombardy has Franciacorta and Lugana, not to mention Veneto with the Prosecco phenomenon.…

L'articolo WHICH WHITE VARIETY SHOULD BE PLANTED AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE? sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

Brunello Prime Donne 2019 wins the 5 Grappoli by Bibenda and the 4 Viti by the AIS Vitae guide. This is a wine that has obtained widespread approval from critics and consumers all over the world.

The Brunello Riserva 2018 obtains the 4 Viti plus the gem from the Sommeliers of the largest Italian organization with a stratospheric score. A recognition that echoes Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s predilection for this wine <<I offer it at the table as often as I can because it coincides with my idea of ​​a great Brunello>>.

The party is completed by the AIS award also for the Doc Orcia Cenerentola 2019. The blend of Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda which is conquering a growing number of enthusiasts with its elegant and unique intensity. <<Obtaining good ratings with Brunello is easier while for a young denomination like Orcia DOC it is really difficult and Cenerentola 2019 earned 93 points from Robert Parker/Wine Advocate and 92 points from James Suckling>> explains Donatella Cinelli Colombini which sees in the 4 Viti from the Vitae Guide a deserved confirmation of an increasingly broad consensus.

THE TWO AIS AND BIBENDA AWARDS CEREMONIES

 AIS and Bibenda award ceremonies were both national in nature, took place on the same day and involved, in the majority of cases, the same wineries.

…

L'articolo THE DAY OF THE BIBENDA AND AIS AWARDS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

James Suckling loves Brunello and its producers very much. He is an honorary citizen of Montalcino and always has gestures of great friendship towards local wine makers. This year too he invited 60 producers to the party held in his Tuscan residence which was also attended by Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini.

One of the things that has distinguished Suckling for many years is the desire to beat other critics to the punch and publish reviews first. Obviously, this has created emulation and the tastings of the tasters have been brought forward more and more compared to the date of release on the market of the new vintage which takes place on January 1st.

AMES SUCKLING AND BRUNELLO

Suckling speaks perfect Italian and lives between Italy, the United States, his native country,  and China where he has a beautiful wine shop. He organizes events in Asia and America attended by collectors of fine wines and wealthy wine lovers. Suckling is among the critics with the greatest international reputation and among the most active on social media (almost 400,000 followers on Instagram). Refined, very expert, hospitable and very active, James is attracted by everything that is exclusive and prestigious. His predilection is for wines of an imposing and sumptuous style.

Together with Aldo Fiordelli, his senior editor, James Suckling tasted 230 Brunellos from the 2020 vintage, giving a very positive opinion, as of a vintage reminiscent of the splendid 2015.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO 2020 JAMES SUCKLING 93/100 sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

A circumstance that has never happened before which confirms the extraordinary vocation of the Brunello area for the cultivation of Sangiovese, its only grape variety. The favourable effect of the new climate which multiplied the excellent harvests was also confirmed.

However, 2019 and 2020 have different characteristics that enthusiasts will be able to enjoy comparing.

2020 A YEAR AND A BRUNELLO TO REMEMBER

In 2020, the year of Covid, there was a spring frost (18-23 March) which drastically reduced the grapes in the vineyards.

After a mild and arid winter, June was very rainy while from mid-July to the end of August the heat was never interrupted by storms. The good weather continued in September until the harvest when the disturbances began to arrive. The rain circled  around leaving Casato Prime Donne dry until September 25th when the harvest was almost completed. That day there was a real downpour but, fortunately, almost all the grapes were already in the cellar.

The 2020 Sangiovese grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy, with well-lignified seeds, small berries and the typical crunchiness of great vintages.

CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO

The Casato Prime Donne cellar, where this wine was born, is a flagship of female oenology and is the first in Italy with a staff of only women.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2020 ORGANIC sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination

When we show our “medal collection” with the scores obtained by our wines to producers, journalists and buyers… everyone’s eyes open wide in surprise. For a small estate like ours, having 9 and often 10 wines with scores above 90/100, from the most authoritative wine press in the world, is something incredible. It highlights the enormous work of the entire company: in the vineyards, in the cellar and even in the offices.

If they then ask us <<are these the best scores you have obtained on each wine?>> and we proudly reply <<they are just the scores of the wines currently on sale>> I see a murderous light in the eyes of our fellow producers.

This is because we only have 33 hectares of vineyard and to obtain these results we need to transform every bunch of grapes into a high-level wine. A very, very difficult thing.

Just as it is difficult to get the wine critics who count to taste all the wines, that is, not just Brunello di Montalcino. Great tasters are overwhelmed by bottles to taste. Sometimes Monica Larner publishes photos of the stacks of bottles she has to rate and they are truly impressive.

JAMES SUCKLING THE US SUPER WINE CRITIC WHO LOVES TUSCANY

Luckily there are some very active wine critics who review everything sent to them.…

L'articolo DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S MEDAL COLLECTION sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

For you 2 exclusive wines, produced in very small series and intended for a small number of connoisseurs.

For this offer an excellent Tuscan style Spumante designed to accompany the entire meal. It is a Metodo Classico rosé Brut obtained from organically grown Sangiovese grapes

The offer also includes bottles of the late release Brunello di Montalcino 2018, each numbered and wrapped separately.

A unique opportunity for true wine lovers who want to receive two 100% Sangiovese wines produced in Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wineries, ideal for Christmas and New Year celebrations but also for making very exclusive gifts.

OFFER FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

2 bottles of Spumante Metodo Classico Rosé millesimato BIO 2020

4 bottles of Brunello 2018 late vintage release BIO

2 cotton sachets customized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo

DURATION OF THE OFFER

The offer ends on November 8, 2024

PRICE

Euro 299.00

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the order of wine bottles and cotton bags, the price is even more convenient

Euro 567.00

Always with a 10 Euro discount on shipping

 OFFER FOR ALL OTHER WINE LOVERS

2 bottles of Spumante Metodo Classico Rosé millesimato BIO 2020

4 bottles of Brunello 2018 late vintage release BIO

2 cotton sachets customized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo

PRICE

Euro337.00

10 Euro discount on shipping

For those who want to double the order of wine bottles and cotton bags, the price is even more convenient

Euro 649.00

Always with a 10 Euro discount on shipping

BONUS GIFT

Together with the bottles you will find two cotton bags with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo to be used to gift a bottle or two to friends and relatives, or to also do blindfolded tastings with other wine lovers, keeping the identity of the wine hidden until the end, a very fun game!…

L'articolo OFFER: WINES FOR THE FESITIVITIES AND CHRISTMAS GIFTS sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination #brunellodimontalcino

<<We are pleased to inform you of the results obtained from the product you presented at the CMB Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – Sweet & Fortified Wines Session 2024 which took place from 1 to 2 October. This year, a total of 340 wine samples were subjected to the judgment of our jury of international professionals>> and Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Vin Santo del Chianti DOC won the Gold Medal.

With this simple email we received the news of an unexpected and very welcome recognition for our Vin Santo.

A MINI SERIES OF 500 SMALL BOTTLES CONTAINING SWEET NECTARS

From the graphs accompanying the letter it is possible to see that our wine was tasted blind by a panel of six tasters including 3 Belgians, 2 Portuguese and one Dutch. The thing that struck them most was the persistence of the Vin Santo which is, on the palate, the most evident character followed by balance and acidity.

On the nose, the tasters noticed more of the aroma of walnut/dried fruit as well as honey, while the balsamic notes appeared more nuanced.

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI AND COMPETITIONS, THE SURPRISE OF WINNING

Generally I don’t submit my wines to wine competitions but, in this case, it was the Tuscany Region that urged me following the initiative on the sweet wines of our region promoted by the Women of Wine, and  by me at Fattoria del Colle.…

L'articolo GOLD MEDAL FOR VIN SANTO IN THE BRUXELLES COMPETITION sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

by #donatellacinellicolombini

For the first time, in many years, the ripening of the grapes was what winemakers dream of: the ripening of the pulp of the grapes (technological) and that of the skins (polyphenolic) occurred simultaneously and completely.

Average 13% alcohol, lignified seeds, small berries and bunches, good content of noble substances, acidity and PH just below perfection… And lots of grapes.

At the beginning of September no one was hoping for such a spectacular result, in fact everyone was pessimistic because the weather forecast was terrible.

CHRONICLE OF THE 2024 HARVEST: FROM PESSIMISM TO JOY

After 60 days of scorching temperatures in July and August, with temperatures of 37°C during the day and 22 at night, the vines are still. Veraison is slow and ripening does not seem to progress. Then the weather changes suddenly and a very rainy month begins: from early September to early October, around 200 mm of rain falls. It’s cold and at night the thermometer drops to 10°C.

Managing a climate of this kind is very difficult: you need a team of very good agronomists, grape growers and oenologists, excellent harvesting technology and a pinch of luck. We have all this and in fact we produce an amazing harvest.

We are lucky to have the vineyards full of small bunches, open with small grapes with thick and hard skins and therefore capable of resisting the rain.…

L'articolo BRUNELLO HARVEST 2024, A MASTERPIECE sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.